Oyabun
by leonardo1123581321
Summary: After failing the graduation exam and getting arrested on false charges, Naruto finds refuge in the least likely place: The Yakuza. Will our favorite, hyperactive, knuckle-headed ninja rule the underworld or will it bring him to his knees? Watch Naruto's life unfold as a gangster in everyone's favorite ninja world! Inspired by: The Sicilian and Confessions of a Yakuza
1. An Unlikely Guardian

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Naruto anime or manga. I do own the Kuroihi syndicate, the Enkou Syndicate and all affiliated characters.

**Author's Note:** This is an idea I've been throwing around for a while now.

It's night in Konoha. Darkness fills the streets as life goes on in the shady slums. Gang members hang around this area, many giving each other threatening glances. Many of the gang members brandish their weapons to intimidate others; Those others appeared ready to start a fight.

Three shinobi stood waiting in the lower part of Konoha. This was a part that few people dared to enter simply for the history of violence it held within its confines. Each of them wore an ear piece which was carefully hidden as they looked left and right for their contact.

Several minutes passed before a man in a white suit stepped out of a bar escorted by two others, their contact. The man wore black shades and his suit was complimented by a red flower. His hair was black and neatly combed to the side. The two men flanking him wore green suits and their faces were hidden behind black shades. Both men were armed with katanas.

"You're late Takeshi," the lead shinobi pointed out.

"And you're bugged," Takeshi replied. He tossed a briefcase towards the three shinobi. The first shinobi opened it and saw several rolls of ryou in it. He closed it and nodded towards the Takeshi. Takeshi informed the shinobi, "Our deal is off. My 'superior' is becoming suspicious."

He turned and left the three shinobi. The shinobi turned to leave as well, the one holding the brief case opened it and took several bills out. He placed it in his pocket before noticing something underneath the wads of cash. His eyes widened. The cash burst into flames and an explosion followed killing all three shinobi. A resident looked out his window at the three corpses and noticed one was holding a case full of what appeared to be exploding tags. The smell of burnt flesh filled the street that night.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 1: An Unlikely Guardian**

Naruto sat on the swing underneath the tree. He had failed the graduation exam in the academy again. He looked on in despair as the many parents congratulated their children on their successful passing of the exam. Naruto longed to be one of them, to have graduated, to be a genin. Deep down, he wasn't sure if he could ever be a shinobi. This was the side of him he wouldn't ever want to show. He rose from the swing, rubbing his eyes and walked back to his apartment in defeat.

As he walked on, he was met with the casual response of being ignored by the fellow villagers. He turned the corner to his apartment and was stopped in his tracks. He had walked into one of the many people who were open about their hate towards Naruto. The man cracked his knuckles and said, "Didn't I say I'd rip off your head if I ever saw you again!"

Naruto gulped and burst running in the opposite direction. Unfortunate for him most of his chakra was exhausted from the exam, so there was little he could do. Besides which, if he attacked in self defense then the other villagers may try to kill him too. He ran into an alley behind a bar and found himself at a dead end. He turned to face the man who had chased him, who busied himself by cracking his knuckles and sneering in delight, "I'm going to enjoy this."

He raised his fist and Naruto closed his eyes in fear. There was a sudden thud and a desperate groan. Naruto opened his eyes and saw his pursuer unconscious on the ground. Behind him stood a man in a black suit wielding a katana, who shook his head at the large man. Naruto couldn't help but notice the man had only three fingers on his right hand: his thumb, fore finger and his middle finger. The man then turned to Naruto and seemed to freeze. Whether he froze because it was Naruto, the village's demon, he saved or if he had simply remembered somthing important, Naruto would never know. The man's mouth hang open and his eyes gave signs as if he had seen a ghost. The man stood and stared at him for a few seconds before asking, "Are you okay?"

Naruto nodded. He knew who he was, or rather who the man worked for, based off his clothes. He was a member of the Kuroihi Syndicate, one of the boryokudan functioning in the village. Naruto had always tried to avoid the boryokudan. The villagers had never liked him and if he was seen with a Yakuza, things could only get worse. The man motioned for Naruto to follow him, "What's your name?"

Naruto hesitated. The man pressed, "Well?"

"It's Naruto," he muttered, it was known that the Kuroihi hated being lied to. The man nodded, and motioned for Naruto to follow.

They stepped out of the alley and the man asked, "Where do you live?"

Naruto took a quick glance of his surroundings and answered, "Down the street at the apartment complex."

The man nodded and said, "Lead the way."

Naruto took the lead and the two of them went towards the apartment where Naruto lived. The man's presence made Naruto feel uncomfortable, someone would glance at him and immediately run for cover. Those who weren't intimidated showed a loathing respect for the man as he escorted Naruto back to his apartment. Outside of Naruto's home the man handed Naruto a card with an address on it, "If anyone ever gives you trouble I want you to come find me right away. Got it Naruto?"

Naruto nodded, more out of fear than anything else. The Kuroihi were known to be ruthless and at the same time respectable. They didn't break any of Konoha's laws, but that didn't mean what they did wasn't morally bankrupt. Once he was out of sight, Naruto went into his room and sat down, trying to figure out what had happened.

The next day, Naruto learned the man who had attacked him was found half dead outside the village in a ditch. None of the Boryokudan took the blame for the incident, declaring the man had done nothing to offend them. The shinobi in the village became much more vigilant from that point on. Many who had seen the incident from the day before claimed a Yakuza from the Kuroihi attacked the man the day before. Many of these witnesses changed their stories a while later.

Needless to say the incident had a negative effect on Naruto. Many villagers began to openly express their hate or began to avoid his very presence. This was true at the academy, since everyone's chair had magically moved a complete meter from him, leaving a visible circle around his body. Naruto shifted once during Iruka's lecture to pick up the pencil he dropped, only to notice the person to his side had moved a distance from Naruto's extended arm. Naruto understood the message and decided to use a different pencil. Iruka, whom Naruto had always considered the closest thing to a father-figure, tried to avoid eye-contact with him. Once class ended, Iruka spoke with his student, "Is everything alright Naruto?"

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," Naruto assured him. Iruka still refused to make eye contact. He bit his lip, "Are you sure, I've been hearing some weird things from the other teachers."

"Everything's fine," Naruto feared to know where the conversation was heading. Iruka had probably learned about the incident the other day with the Kuroihi.

"Is this about the graduation exam?"

Naruto shook his head, "No sensei."

Iruka took a deep breath, "Just promise me you aren't going to associate with any Bosuzoku, okay?"

"Okay, Iruka sensei," Naruto answered with his trademark smile. This seemed to be enough to convince Iruka since he patted Naruto on the back, "Okay, I'll take you to the Ichiraku tonight, okay?"

Naruto nodded with excitement. There was a tone of fear in Iruka's voice. During the meal, Naruto met more of the negative attention he hated. Throughout the entire meal passerbies ran quickly past Ichiraku to avoid Naruto's glance. Others would come insider, order something, notice Naruto's presence, then leave before the noodles were prepared. It reached the point where the owner had to ask Iruka and Naruto to leave since they were scaring away customers. Naruto apologized to Iruka. Iruka said it couldn't be helped and told Naruto not to worry about it. The next day, Naruto was at the address on the card the Kuroihi gave him. The address, more or less, was for an office building in Konoha's market district. The sign over the office was emblazoned in gold and had a picture of a dragon on it.

Naruto hesitated to enter, since many people were giving him a curious, if not frightened look. A man tending his shop saw Naruto and seemed to lose himself in thought, as if praying he had done nothing to offend the boy. After several minutes of hesitation, a man stepped out of the office, escorted by two guards. Naruto recognized him as the man from before. The two escorts were clad in black suits in general disarray. Upon leaving the building the escorts propped the collars up. The man recognized Naruto on the spot.

"Keitaro, Yahiko," he instructed, "You two are dismissed."

The two men nodded and wandered off, leaving Hashi and Naruto alone. Hashi asked the boy, "Is someone bothering you, Naruto?"

Naruto shook his head. Hashi bit his lip, "Then why'd you come here?"

Naruto was frozen. It was one thing to lie to a Kuroihi; it was another to tell him to back off. Naruto opened his mouth to answer but no words would come out. At that moment, Naruto noticed the tip of Hashi's right hand was bandaged. He also took note of a tattoo of a dragon underneath his suit's collar. He swallowed again and finally spoke, "Did you beat that guy up?"

Hashi offered a smile, "No, I didn't."

Naruto searched his eyes for a sign of a lie, but found nothing. Despite all this, Naruto knew he had lied. He asked, "Please, don't hurt anymore people."

"Why?" Hashi asked. Naruto continued, "Well, the villagers are worse to me now. Yesterday, my sensei and I were kicked out of the Ichiraku because I was scaring away too many customers."

Hashi nodded, "Don't worry about it, okay?"

Naruto looked at Hashi; his eyes were deep in thought, the kind of thought that had something to hide. For a second, Naruto could've sworn he saw a resemblance to the Shinigami in his eyes. Naruto argued, "Only if you promise not to hurt anymore people."

Hashi assured him, "I never hurt anyone. Just head home and forget this whole crisis ever happened."

Naruto nodded, not wanting to press the issue further, and went straight back to the apartment the Hokage was kind enough to give him. Hashi watched as Naruto disappeared from sight. The sun was beginning to set in the horizon, casting a gloomy blood red over the village.

The next day Naruto awoke to a knocking at his door. His clock read 5:00 AM. Outside the sun was rising, casting a foreboding orange into the apartment. He rubbed his tired eyes, and opened the door to three shinobi. He guessed they were ANBU considering all three wore masks of an animal and all three were in completely black hoods.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the lead ANBU took a step towards the boy, "You're under arrest."

**Terms to know: **These terms are consistent within the Yakuza and have been researched.

**Boryokudan: **The literal meaning is "Violence Group", however it describes either a criminal organization or a gang known to take violent measures.

**Bosuzoku:** A term used to describe a gang of hoodlums. They tend to function as recruiters for the Boryokudan; otherwise, they are small time gangs which focus in small areas and have few members. They operate in the mediums of extortion.

**Komon:** An advisor. He is below the saiko-komon and his opinion has less value to the kumicho.

**Kumicho:** The Japanese counterpart for the Italian Don or "Godfather".

**Ninkyo Dantai: **A Chivalrous Organization, what boryokudan call itself. They view themselves as elite members of society loyal only to the Kumicho. It should be noted that only the Kumicho, the saiko-komon, the komon, the so-honbucho, the shateigashira, the wakagashira and the shateigashira-hosa are considered the members of the main ninkyo dantai family.

**Oyabun-Kobun: **The relationship between someone adopted into the boryokudan (foster child) and the person who adopted the Kobun (Foster parent). One's level is determined by when the person joined and who their allegiance lies to, sometimes allowing a 20 year-old to have seniority over a 60 year-old.

**Saiko-Komon:** The senior advisor to the Kumicho.

**So-Honbucho: **The Head-quarters Chief responsible for protecting the kumicho and his family. He manages a subsidiary gang which guard the compound or base of operations.

**Shateigashira:** The number three man, he protects the Wakagashira while overseeing his own operations. He also acts as the Wakagashira's assistant.

**Shateigashira-hosa:** An assistant to the number three man. Like his boss, he has his own subsidiary gang.

**Shatei:** A junior/younger member of the Ninkyo dantai. As the newer member he does the dirtier work.

**Wakagashira:** The number two man, he is in charge of his own sub gangs and is the most likely candidate to replace the kumicho.

**Wakashu:** A subordinate to the shateigashira or the wakagashira who manages his own gang. He functions as a recruiter for the main gang.

**Ya-ku-za/ Hachi-Kyu-San: **an individual member of the Boryokudan. The name derives from the most difficult hand to win with in a game of Oicho-Kabu, requiring the player to be cunning, intelligent and lucky at the same time. Many consider the hand worthless. As a phrase, it is believed to bring bad luck to whomever says it.


	2. From Nindo to Bushido

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates.

**Author's Notes:** It's a triple update bonanza! The following stories:

The Nentuoinai no Sato

Ace Combat: Frozen Winds and Burnt Skies

Oyabun

were all updated at the same time. If you haven't had the chance to read the other two fics, now is the time. Now on to the main author's notes.

Thanks for the reviews, although I'm not familiar with any yaoi anime involving gangsters. Sorry Starfire12934, this is inspired by The Sicilian. I was hesitant to write this story because I was using characters like: Hashi, Keitaro and the Kuroihi/Enkou Syndicates in a comic I was doing for TokyoPop's RSOM 8 contest. However, I decided against it and decided to write the story anyway. Anyway, since I probably won't update in time for Thanksgiving, Happy Thanksgiving! Let me know what you think about the story so far!

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 2: From Nindo to Bushido**

The next day Naruto awoke to a knocking at his door. His clock read 5:00 AM, but outside the sun was rising, casting a foreboding orange into the apartment. He rubbed his tired eyes, and opened the door to three shinobi. He guessed they were ANBU considering all three wore masks of an animal and all three were in completely black hoods.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the lead ANBU took a step towards the boy, "You're under arrest."

"What?" Naruto took a step back. His mouth hung open from shock, while hoping it was some kind of cruel joke. The ANBU advanced on Naruto, one grabbing him from behind and another tying a rope to bind his hands. Then they led the boy, kicking and screaming, out of his apartment and onto the streets of Konoha.

To Naruto's horror, he was being detained for speaking with a known Yakuza. To make matters worse, they were planning on taking him to a prison somewhere in another country where they could whatever they pleased with the boy. He was loaded into a convoy of oxen carts. The carts were disguised with a sign that read: SUPPLIES.

The convoy sat out in the street, while more and more arrested men and women were placed inside. Around mid day, some jonin appeared. By this time the heat in the cages had made most of the occupants inside pass out. The convoy started moving through the streets.

"So why is it such a sausage fest? When are we getting to those hot lady yakuza I hear so much about?" asked one of the younger jonin. The lead ANBU scoffed, "Those Boryokudan have no women in their organization."

"Why not?" the jonin asked.

"It's part of their so-called code. The woman distracts the mind and can cloud judgement. Besides, what self-respecting woman would join a bunch of sleaze balls like these?"

"Hey! I'm not a sleaze-ball!" cried Naruto. The ANBU turned to look at him. Naruto flinched. Although the ANBU wore a mask, it was obvious he was glaring at him, "No. You're worse. You threw away a future as a shinobi for this?"

"Like it matters. You'll hate me either way," Naruto stated. The ANBU scoffed.

The convoy kept going outside the village and all the way into the countryside. The convoy's destination was an undisclosed location deep in the mountains. The sun was beginning to set in the distance, casting an eerie orange glow on the convoy as it reached a fork in the road. Two men stood blocking their path. Both wore high collared black suits with matching ties and shades. The first was armed with a katana while the second had two wakizashi.

"What are you doing?" the lead ANBU demanded.

"This path is controlled by the Kuroihi. If you're going to use it, you need to pay the toll," the first said, holding out a small jar. The lead ANBU stood tall, "We're shinobi of Konohagakure. We don't pay money to gangsters."

"Konoha? _My_ mistake," the first said. He bowed and stepped aside so the convoy could pass. He motioned for the second Kuroihi to do the same. The convoy began to move again, going down the left fork and disappearing around a bend in the mountain. The ANBU were tense the rest of their travel, while most of the jonin had pushed the Kuroihi out of their mind.

By nightfall, a thick fog rolled in. Suddenly a giant sword appeared from out of nowhere, beheading most of the jonin and killing one of the ANBU.

"What was that?" a young jonin shouted in amazement.

"Look out!" cried the lead ANBU. A wall of mirrors appeared around them. A young man with flowing dark hair and a mask appeared. Before anyone knew what happened, senbon needles rained down on them from all directions. There was no way to avoid it, and no way to escape. Each shinobi fell.

…………….

"Well done Zabuza," a young man with spiky hair said, "As agreed. We've secured a safe house for you in the Land of Waves. You'll be safe there for now. An associate of ours, Gatou, will be glad to look after you."

"Hmmm..." was Zabuza's response, "Let's go Haku."

Zabuza and Haku left, leaving the man alone. The man drew his ninjato and began to break the locks on each of the carts. As each lock broke, two men crawled from out of the bushes. They looked in the cart and began waking the occupants. Eventually, they came to the last cart. There was a blonde inside. The same blonde they were sent to rescue.

…………….

Naruto awoke from his nightmare. He had dreamt some ANBU arrested him and took him away. But before the ninja could take him anywhere, a menacing man wearing bandages around his face and a giant sword killed every ANBU and jonin in the convoy before facing Naruto down. Naruto sighed in relief, knowing it was all a dream.

He sat up from his futon as his vision began to clear. _Wait? Futon? I don't sleep in a futon? Where's my bed?_ Naruto scrambled out and took in his surroundings. He was in a small room. Nothing particular caught his eye except one window that looked out onto a beautiful garden and a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling. He looked down and saw someone had changed his clothes. The normal blue pajamas he wore were replaced with white ones. A growling nose signaled his hunger and he left the room, worrying less about where he was and more about where the closest ramen was.

Naruto stepped outside, into a small hallway that connected into the garden. Rosebushes lined the garden, with a small stone path leading into a pond at the heart of the garden. Naruto blinked to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. After rubbing his eyes many times he decided he wasn't crazy and returned to his search for ramen.

As he went down the hall his heightened ninja senses alerted him to two people coming his way. He immediately ducked into one of the bushes in the garden. As he suspected, two people turned the corner. They ran into the garden, passing Naruto's hiding spot and stopped by the pond. One was a young man he remembered to be called Keitaro. The other was a beautiful woman with long, flowing brown hair.

The two of them kissed each other, which Naruto couldn't avert his eyes from them. They were physical opposites of each other. Keitaro had short dark hair that covered the right side of his face, pale skin and was a full head taller than the woman. His lover was short with long brown hair, and light brown skin. Their difference in appearance complimented each other. Oddly enough, Naruto got a warm feeling from watching the two of them. The only affection Naruto received was from Iruka-sensei, so the two lovers in front of him sparked an odd sensation within him. Maybe he was perverted? Suddenly, the woman broke away from the kiss and turned away from Keitaro. The woman started to say something.

Out of sheer curiosity, Naruto inched as close as he could to them without being seen.

"Keitaro, we can't keep doing this. You know what dad will do when he finds out," she said. Keitaro kissed her tenderly.

"I know. But…I love you too much to just-"

Naruto's stomach growled. He cursed under his breath.

"Shh! I think someone's coming," The woman said. The couple immediately ran in opposite directions. Once Naruto was sure they were some distance away, he crawled out of his hiding spot. Naruto wished he knew what they were going to say but decided to let it go and continued looking for Ramen. Once again on his search, Naruto wandered into a long dark corridor. He heard the familiar voices of Keitaro and Hashi coming from one of the doors. Before Naruto knew what he was doing he was leaning against the door.

"So boss, Gatou is becoming a real nuisance. He's spending more than he says he's earning. What's worse is he's threatening to break away from the kumicho and start his own gang."

"We can't do anything without Boss Kuroihi's approval. Besides, Gatou is just a pawn in the Land of Waves. At best he could send thirty, forty, maybe even fifty armed bandits after us. But one ronin can easily disperse them. Now, how is our guest?"

"He's still in his room-" Naruto snorted "-sleeping. Everything's been taken care off, just as you asked. We're prepared for him whenever you're ready."

_What do they mean prepared? Oh no…Naruto_'s mind began to race, _they're going to kill me! _But why? He hadn't done anything to offend them. Was it because he asked Hashi to back off? No…it couldn't be. Could it.

"Good. I think I'll go see him then." Naruto heard footsteps coming close to the door. He panicked and began looking around the hall for a place to hide, but was too late. The door opened and Hashi stuck his head out, "Oh…Naruto. You're here."

Naruto was petrified. He had no idea what to say to Hashi. Hashi stood there, amazed at Naruto's sudden appearance. Naruto and Hashi stood there in silence until Naruto's stomach growled louder than it ever did.

Naruto's face went bright red and he immediately apologized to the Kuroihi boss. Hashi smirked and said, "No need to apologize. Come on, I'll get you something to eat. You don't mind ramen do you?"

Naruto's face lit up.

…………….

Hinata could not believe what she was seeing. She had heard Naruto was the only one who didn't graduate from the academy and decided to visit him and see how he was dealing with it. A rumor that was spreading across the village said Naruto had decided to stop being a ninja and joined a boryokudan. She dismissed it as nothing more than a rumor. After all, Naruto was too optimistic to allow failing the graduation exam from letting him give up his dream. Besides, Buryokudan were not as chivalrous as they claimed to be. They hurt innocent people all in the name of their own gains. Naruto was not like that. He was a kind-hearted person.

But when she arrived at Naruto's apartment, it seemed that she had been proved wrong. Naruto's front door was wide-open. The room was in general disarray, suggesting a fight broke out. To make it worse, there was a note that was pinned on the doorframe:

_In accordance with Article 24 of the Konohagakure no Sato's Securities Act, the occupant of this apartment has been detained for affiliation with a known yakuza. The Occupant will be taken to a classified location and will be returned once innocence is proven. _

_- Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato_

Hinata blinked back her tears. The boy she admired…he was…

…………….

Naruto finished his seventh bowl of ramen. He couldn't help but feel guilty about pigging out on Hashi's expense. While he ordered one bowl after another, Hashi simply asked for some sake. He hardly knew Hashi, but when it came to ramen Naruto couldn't resist his sudden cravings. As he gulped down the last of the soup he could feel Hashi's staring at him. Naruto stacked the bowl on top of the others and ordered another. As he patiently waited for the bowl to arrive he looked around the small bar.

It had a cozy feeling to it, a few tables spread out with three or four chairs at each. The bar was made to resemble a home more than an actual business which gave it a rather cozy feeling. The only problem Naruto had was the three meter distance everyone seemed to keep from him and Hashi. If Hashi called for the bartender or a waiter to take an order, one of the staff would always hesitate to approach Hashi. It usually took a push from one or two of the other waiters/waitresses to get the person started.

A light conversation had picked up between the two about why Naruto aspired to be a ninja, followed by why Hashi was missing two fingers.

"It was to redeem myself," he explained. Naruto looked at him with surprise, "What for? You don't seem like the kind of person who'd need to make up stuff to anyone."

"Well, you see. Sometimes a samurai becomes a ronin because he disgraces his master, right?"

"You mean like a feudal lord?" Naruto got the image of a man in a fancy wardrobe kicking Hashi down some stairs.

"No, er...yeah. Like a feudal lord. Anyway, when the ronin wants to return into the feudal's lords favor he has to give the feudal lord something."

"So, you gave him your finger."

"Yes, you see a samurai's greatest weapon is his sword. But what very few people know is the samurai uses the last finger on his hand to grip the sword, not his first finger."

"Right."

"So if the samurai gives the feudal lord the last finger on his hand, it tells the feudal lord that the samurai weakened himself."

"But why would anyone do that?"

"To prove to the feudal lord that he will be more loyal. See, when someone has four fingers they can't hold the sword as well as someone with five fingers. The ronin becomes more dependant on the feudal lord. That's why the feudal lord accepts the ronin again. The samurai will be forced to be more loyal to the feudal lord if the samurai wants to preserve what he values most."

"Values most?"

"Exactly."

Naruto could understand what Hashi was talking about. Naruto was sure he would do the same thing if it would help him protect what he cherished. Like Iruka-sensei. A tense silence followed, which was interrupted only by Naruto slurping down more of the noodles. Eventually, Naruto asked a question that had been bothering him, "Hashi…why are you so nice to me?"

"Hmm? Oh well, do I need a reason?"

"Well, it's just that no one's ever been that nice to me. Except for Iruka sensei."

Hashi looked at Naruto and could only smile, "Well, simply put: Birds of a feather, flcok together."

"What do birds have to do with this?"

"It's a metaphor. You see, you sort of remind me of myself when I was your age."

"Hmm?"

"I used to want to be a ninja, too."

"Then why be a yakuza?"

Hashi took a sip of his sake. Suddenly, he lowered the bottle from his lips and stared off into space. Naruto suddenly welled with fear. He looked at Hashi and realized there was a fire in his eyes. A loud shattering noise, the bottle in Hashi's hand broke, sending shards of flying glass and sake everywhere. Naruto ducked out of the way off the glass and looked back at Hashi.

"Hey, are you okay?" Naruto asked. Hashi snapped out of his trance and looked Naruto. Naruto looked completely terrified, "Was it something I said?"

"I'm fine," Hashi said. Hashi realized his hand was wet and chuckled to himself. He wiped it off with some napkins and immediately began to wipe up the spilled sake. He then asked for another bottle. Hashi gratefully took the bottle and finished it all in one go. After Naruto was done with his ninth bowl, Hashi paid the bill plus twice the bill's total in tip. They then left the bar and returned to Hashi's compound.

The compound was situated in a mountain village between the Land of Fire and the Land of Waves. It's convenient location placed it outside the law of both countries, although the villagers were more accepting of the currency and the customs of the Land of Fire. Hashi's compound itself was situated in the heart of the town, a small manor surrounded on all sides by high walls. The only entrance was an iron fence that was guarded by two men armed with the traditional katana.

When Naruto and Hashi arrived, the guards were teaching three boys the art of swordsmanship. The boys seemed to be only a few years older than Naruto, but were dressed in the similar black suits and shades. Naruto watched with fascination as one of the guards skillfully parried, dodged and swung at all three boys. The guard's motions seemed fluid and perfect, as he gracefully reacted to sword of each boy. Eventually, all three boys were beaten and lying on the ground, trying to catch their breath. The guard helped all of them up and started laughing. The boys joined in on the guard's laughter. Naruto suddenly remembered his time at the academy with Iruka.

"Would you like to learn it?" Hashi asked.

"Learn what?" Naruto asked.

"Bushido, 'The Way of the Warrior', is our code, our way of life," Hashi explained, "It's a system of honor, pride, and inner strength."

Naruto began to wonder, _Bushido. Why does that name sound so familiar_. Hashi sighed, "You're probably not interested. After all, you would rather be a shinobi. They've probably taught you all about _Nindo_ at the Ninja Academy."

"Actually, could I?" Naruto asked. This Bushido seemed interesting, and who knows? Maybe it would help him become a better ninja. After all, it was the 'Way of the Warrior'.

"Sure. We'll start tomorrow if you want," Hashi said. Naruto smiled happily.

…………….

Author's Notes: Another chapter over and done with. I'll update as soon as I can! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

**Things to know: **

Yakuza or Boryokudan have their roots in the samurai of feudal Japan. However the emperor abolished the need for samurai when the Europeans introduced the ideas of a formal military in the 1800's. As the vestiges of the old feudal system died away, many samurai found themselves ronin, literally 'servants without masters'. In order to make ends meet, many samurai began offering protection services to locals. Overtime, they lost much of their codes of honor and began protection rackets for illegal rings of gambling, drug and arms trade and prostitution. THis is believed to be the birth of the Yakuza.


	3. The Hit

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates.

**Author's Notes:** Thanks again for all the reviews! Admittedly, this story is more successful than I hoped it would be. To address several concerns:

**Avatarofrage: **Don't worry, this won't wind up like my other story: The Nentuoinai no Sato. Unlike Nentuo, I've known where this one is going from the start, so it won't shoot too far off from the canon story line. In fact, the next chapter will be the start of the Land of Waves Arc.

**ArmorofGeddon:** That's a secret. But I commend your analytical skills.

**CloudyEros:** Thanks for the compliment.

**Shadowiscool28:** Sorry if it's confusing. The only non-canon names you'll need to remember are: Hashi and Keitaro. As for Yakuza terms, don't even bother. I have a freaking list of things that could get explained, but it would take up it's own chapter.

Finally, if anything about this story needs explaining: the Yakuza, Bushido, Boryokudan or anything like that; let me know and I'll explain what I can. Read and enjoy!

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 3: The Hit**

Some men arrived with Naruto's things that night. Hashi sent them to Konoha to _retrieve _his belongings since Naruto would be staying at the manor for a while. Naruto asked when he would be going back to Konoha. Hashi never answered.

Naruto woke up _early_ the next day. The first thing he thought? _Today's the day I learn bushido!_ To his dismay, his clock read: 2:59 AM. He groaned in despair and tried to go back to sleep, but was too excited. He tossed and turned in his bed, knowing the training wasn't supposed to start until later, but the excitement was getting to him. Images of himself fighting skillfully with the katana flashed in his mind. The wait was starting to eat at him. He kept looking at his clock to check the time:

3:00 AM…

3:00 AM…

3:00 AM…

3:00 AM…

3:01 AM…

3:01 AM…

3:01 AM…

3:01 AM…

Naruto shouted in frustration, "Come on! There's no way time ever moved this slow!"

Annoyed, Naruto got up and decided to go for a walk. The manor was completely at night. The halls were dark, especially with all the curtains drawn. Unable to stand the darkness, Naruto went out into the garden. A cool breeze met him as he walked outside. The night air was chilly, filled with the sound of croaking frogs and chirping crickets. Naruto sat down by the pond and looked up at the starry night overhead.

A few clouds drifted by, blocking out the moon's light as the wind blew.

"Hey, aren't you that Naruto kid?" a voice said.

"Who said that?" Naruto shot up.

"I did," the voice said again. Naruto looked around for the source of the voice, "Down here."

Naruto looked down and saw a small orange toad wearing a blue jacket.

He blinked.

It blinked back.

He tilted his head.

It tilted its head.

"Uh…did you say that?"

"No, it was a cricket," it said sarcastically. Naruto jumped back at the sight before him.

"Woah, slow down there kid," The toad said, "I didn't mean to frighten you, just wanted to get a look at you."

"Uhm…"

"My name's Gamakichi. And you must be Naruto, right?"

"Yeah," If there was any proof on Earth that Naruto was crazy, it was present before him. He was talking to a toad. Even worse, the toad was talking back.

"Yeah, I heard about you. Back in Konoha, they're talking all about how you failed the Graduation Exam and joined a boryokudan because of it!"

"Hey, I didn't join anything!" Naruto said. Unfortunately, Gamakichi didn't hear him.

"So you failed a graduation exam. That's no reason to become a Yakuza. You should have started a noodle chain. I hear you really love ramen!"

"I said I'm not a Yakuza!" Naruto shouted.

"Whatever. Anyway, have you got anything to eat around here? I've been hopping around all day now trying to find something to eat."

"Uh…well…"

"Hey! That's one fancy place you got over there. I bet you got a huge kitchen with all kinds of food," Gamakichi pointed out, staring hungrily at the manor.

"Uh…well I guess."

"Then why are we still out here? I'm hungry!"

Reluctantly, Naruto took the lead and led the talking toad into the house. Upon entry, Gamakichi whistled rather loudly, "Whoa-ho! You got one huge place here kid! I b-mmf!"

"Shh!" Naruto whispered, trying to hold the toad, "Do you want to wake everyone up?"

Gamakichi nodded and Naruto let him go. Naruto wandered the halls aimlessly, hoping the kitchen was just around the corner.

"Geez, this house is bigger on the inside," Gamakichi commented, "I think we've gone past that bathroom before."

"Uh…no, we didn't," Naruto lied. He stopped at the next door and opened it, hoping for the kitchen. To his amazement, it was an excessively large indoor bath. He shut the door immediately and opened the next one.

"Alright kid! You came through!" Gamakichi shouted with excitement. Naruto tried to stop Gamakichi but it was too late. The little toad already opened the fridge and was helping himself to everything: rice balls, dumplings, red bean soup, left over fried rice, barbeque, uncooked noodles and even raw beef. He gulped and slurped rather loudly, making quite the mess as he ate. Bowls, plates, and glasses fell to the floor as Gamakichi finished each dish. Naruto had to duck, dive and roll to catch each item as it fell.

"Whoa slow down!" Naruto said in frustration, "Can't you eat a little less messier?"

Gamakichi burped loudly and hopped away from the empty fridge, "Thanks for the grub, kid. If you need anything, just call!"

He then hopped out a window and into the dark night. Naruto shut the window and looked around the kitchen, "Would it have killed him to clean up after himself?"

The plates, and bowls Naruto caught were neatly stacked on the counter. The fridge was empty, except for a few stains and splattered food. Naruto groaned at the prospect of cleaning the mess when Hashi walked in, rubbing his eyes.

"What's all the noise?" He asked.

He looked at Naruto and then at the mess, "It looks like you were hungry. Well, just clean up after yourself. I'm going back to sleep."

"Wait, you're not just leaving me to clean this all up are you?"

"Well you had the nerve to make it by yourself."

Naruto was about to protest but stopped when Hashi gave him an evil look. Without another word, Naruto went to work cleaning the dishes and fridge. Some of the guards came in for a quick breakfast but were shocked to learn the food was all gone. Most of them wanted to sock Naruto, but were too scared of how Hashi would react. Instead, they settled to go eat at one of the diners in town. It took Naruto most of the morning, but he was able to wash every dish. When he finished, the sun was already past the horizon and high in the sky, "Oh man. That toad could eat."

After quickly changing out of his pajamas, Naruto ran outside. Naruto traversed the garden, to the dojo at the end of the garden. When Hashi told Naruto to meet him at the dojo, Naruto thought it was somewhere in town. Hashi told him it was in the garden, and pointed at it. Naruto's jaw dropped, mortified that he didn't see it before.

Naruto had seen many dojos around Konoha but was never allowed inside one, let alone to come near it. On the outside, the dojo resembled a run down house. Once inside, Naruto realized how deceiving appearances could be. The wooden interior seemed recently polished, and smelled entirely of incense. The wall opposite the entrance was covered from head to toe with many different katana. Each was unique in its own way, some more unique than others. In front of the wall was a small shrine, complete with lit candles and several scrolls. Naruto approached the wall and began to examine each of the swords.

The one that caught his attention was a red katana at the very corner. The end of the hilt was modeled after a fox head. The blade had a red tint, bearing an eerie resemblance to blood. Without realizing it, Naruto pulled it off the wall to get a better view of it. The hilt was lined with criss-cross gold pattern. The edge of the blade was covered with small diamonds, that were sharpened to resemble teeth. If Naruto didn't know better, he'd say it was a saw.

_**Do you like it?**_

"Who said that?" Naruto asked, holding the sword close to himself. The voice, it sounded so familiar yet so strange. It had a tone of malice in it, and made him shake furiously.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Hashi appeared. Naruto felt a wave of relief overcome him. He walked through the threshold and began opening the windows, "I see you like that sword?"

"I uh…" Naruto hastily returned the katana to its place on the wall.

"You can keep that sword if you want it," Hashi said, "I never liked it anyway."

"Where did you get it?" Naruto inquired. Hashi froze. He stood, glued to his spot before answering.

"I got it from a priest," Hashi explained, "He asked me to hold onto it until he came to retrieve it. He died a month after that so I've been holding onto it ever since. Apparently, its price comes to around 70,000,000 ryou."

"70…70 million?"

"Yeah," Hashi pulled the sword out of its sheathe, "A ruby-tinted, silver blade with a diamond encrusted edge, and a golden hilt shaped after the kyubi. It's called _Kitsune_ because of that. It's worth a feudal lord's ransom."

Hashi examined the sword more closely before returning it to its spot on the wall, "But enough about that, you wanted to learn bushido."

Naruto became excited again, "Hey, yeah! I was so excited, I coudn't sleep."

Hashi went to a closet at the end of the room and opened it, "I'm sure they've conditioned you enough at Konoha's ninja academy so we'll skip it and go straight into kenjutsu." (Author's note: Kenjutsu literally means: 'Technique of the Sword')

"Kenjutsu?"

"Yes, the art of the sword," Hashi pulled two katanas made of wood from the closet. He handed one to Naruto who looked at it, "What's this?"

"A shinai. I'm not sure if they covered swords back in your academy but a sword isn't meant to be tossed around like the kunai or the shuriken."

Hashi went to the opposite end of the room and faced Naruto, "Raise your shinai like this."

Naruto nodded and mimicked Hashi's stance, "Yes, Hashi-sensei."

Hashi was surprised at the honorific. He felt honored to have received the title,. Still, he found it somewhat strange to be called sensei.

……………

A few hours later, Hashi and Naruto emerged from the dojo. Naruto was clutching the fox-like katana Hashi gave him, holding it very close. He didn't know why, but he felt a strange bond to it. Like the sword was a long lost brother or maybe a loved one. He was also dead tired. However, Naruto's fatigue did nothing to dull his ninja senses. All it took was a noise for Naruto to push Hashi out of the way. Hashi fell onto the grass and looked up in time to see why Naruto pushed him down. If Naruto hadn't, Hashi would have been impaled by a kunai.

"A kunai?" he said. A hissing noise. Naruto's eyes widened. Hashi and Naurto sprinted away from the dojo before an exploding tag went off, destroying the building. The shockwave sent Naruto and Hashi flying into the pond, the heat of the explosion burning Naruto's neck. Naruto emerged from the water first, Hashi shortly afterwards, "What was that?"

A second explosion echoed through the garden, sending birds scattering into the air. A third explosion followed it, with the sudden clang of metal colliding. A fight had broken out somewhere in the manor. Naruto was slowly coming to his senses.

"Naruto Uzumaki," said a cold voice. Naruto and Hashi looked to the top of the manner to see an ANBU combat gear standing on the roof. The man wore standard ANBU combat gear: skin tight black spandex, under gray body armor and arm guards. The ANBU wore a mask whose top left corner had been broken off. To make up for this, the ANBU wore his head band at angle to cover the exposed side of his face. The only distinguishable feature was his silver hair.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked.

"I am of Konoha's ANBU Block Ops. Codename: Scarecrow. You, Naruto Uzumaki, are wanted for: evading arrest, association with a Yakuza, bribery and blackmail, endangering the lives of Konoha's citizens and conspiracy to murder several of Konoha's ninja. As part of your punishment, you have been sentenced to _death_!"

"What kind of bogus crime is that?" Naruto shouted, "I haven't done anything wrong!"

"Naruto's right!" Hashi said, a deadly tone loomed in his voice. As Hashi climbed out of the pond, Naruto noticed there was something unnerving about Hashi right now. Naruto had only seen Hashi like this once: at the bar yesterday, when his eyes seemed to be on fire. Hashi barked, "Naruto, give me _Kitsune_."

Without a second thought, Naruto threw the katana at Hashi. Hashi caught it and drew the crimson blade from it's sheathe. The ANBU jumped from his spot and drew a ninjato (**Note:** The ninjato is the ninja's counterpart to the katana, only it is much smaller and can be held with one hand or both). Hashi and the ANBU swung their weapons at each other, each trying their best to disarm their opponent. The way they fought, Naruto saw a grace to it. It seemed less like armed combat and more like a perfectly synchronized dance. Hashi would swing his sword, and the ANBU would block. Then the ANBU would try to hit Hashi and Hashi would step to the side. Then Hashi retaliated with either a kick or a punch, followed by the ANBU trying to hit Hashi with either a kunai or a shuriken.

"Boss!" a guard cried as he entered the garden. The guard drew his sword and ran at the ANBU. The ANBU foresaw this circumstance, and set off an exploding tag he hid in the grass. The guard flew several feet into the air and landed in a rose bush. He let out a scream and was holding his left leg…or what was left of it. The explosion had ripped the leg, from the knee to foot, clear off his body. Naruto's eyes widened, "This is…"

Hashi swung _Kitsune_ down and caught the ANBU's ninjato. Using his right arm to hold the ninjato, the ANBU made several handsigns with his left.

"Kage bunshin no Jutsu!"

A clone of the ANBU appeared right behind Hashi. The clone drew a kunai and raised it over Hashi's head. Naruto jumped in and kicked the clone in the head before it could even hit Hashi. The clone disappeared in a puff of smoke. Naruto then raced over to help Hashi.

"Stay back!" Hashi ordered.

"But, Hashi-sensei…" Naruto hesitated.

"Get back!' Hashi barked.

The ANBU forced the ninjato down hard on the katana. Hashi buckled under the force, trying to figure out where the ANBU was getting his strength. Then Hashi saw a faint blue energy covering the edge of ninjato.

"I get it. You're using your chakra," Hashi observed.

The ANBU scowled and drew a kunai into his other hand. What happened next completely surprised the ANBU. Hashi recklessly dived at Scarecrow, and both fell to the ground. Scarecrow was pinned to the ground, the kunai inches away from his hand. Hashi held the ANBU by the neck, tightening his grip to make Scarecrow choke. Scarecrow had dropped both of his weapons and was struggling to loosen Hashi's grip.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Hashi taunted. Suddenly, a cloud of black smoke blinded everyone. As the smoke cleared, it became obvious that Scarecrow had made a quick escape.

Naruto ran over to Hashi. Hashi was coughing furiously, "Smoke bomb…always messes…me up!"

"Are you alright Hashi?"

"Yeah, here's your katana," Hashi said. He thrusted the katana back into Naruto's hand. As Naruto took the sword, he felt a strange warmth.

"Boss!" Keitaro shouted. He and several of the guards appeared, "What happened?"

"Keitaro! Where the hell were you?" Hashi demanded. Several of the guard's carried the wounded guard into the manor. Keitaro panted.

"The food cart came by to deliver the groceries. But someone filled it with exploding tags. The bomb went off, destroying the gate into the compound and killing the two gate guards. Then ANBU appeared. The three kids Jyou was training were the first to die. We managed to hold them back, but they took out half of our guys in the process."

"Funny, we were attacked by an ANBU," Hashi added.

Keitaro stopped to catch his breath. Naruto found himself shaking uncontrollably, and did his best to calm down.

"We've never been hit this hard before. This wasn't just a random attack," Keitaro gasped, struggling to catch bread.

"No, it was too well coordinated. This was an inside job, a _hit_. It's obvious Naruto was the main target."

At these words, a chill ran down Naruto's spine. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Someone orchestrated an attempt on his life. The obvious perpetrator(s) was anyone or everyone in Konoha. After all, they had always hated him and wanted his death. Now they had just cause. It was merely a question of how to do it. Naruto realized why Hashi never answered his question the night before. The answer? He could never go back to Konoha.

"Get our contact in Konoha on the line," Hashi declared. Keitaro nodded and left.

"Naruto," Hashi said, trying to calm himself.

"Yes, Hashi-sensei?"

"Pack your things," Hashi said with a cool tone. He handed the katana to Naruto.

"Why, are we going somewhere?"

"Not us, you. I'm sorry Naruto but you will have to go into hiding."

"Hiding?" Naruto felt he knew where Hashi was going.

"I'm sending you to the Land of Waves."

"The Land of Waves?" _He's sending me that far?_

"It's an inconvenience. Unfortunately, this attack has made it clear: I cannot protect you, even in my own home. So I'm going to send you to the Land of Waves. It's outside the Land of Fire's law and, therefore, outside Konoha's influence. If they go there, it would be considered an act of war. You'll be safe for the time being."

"But what about my training?" Naruto asked, "You were supposed to train me in kenjutsu!"

Hashi patted him on the head, "I'll be sending Keitaro with you. He'll be your guard and your mentor from here on out."

Naruto grimaced, still unable to believe Konoha sent a team of ANBU to _kill _him. Deep in his heart, a hatred for his former home planted itself in his heart. It was a cold seed, ready to sprout into something more powerful. As Naruto and Hashi walked back to the manor, Hashi noticed Naruto's eyes flashed a shade of red.

……………

Author's Note: Well, who saw that coming? Next chapter, Naruto goes to the Land of Waves and encounters four familiar faces, as well as two familiar foes. Let me know what you think! I'm open to constructive criticism if anyone has any. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 out.


	4. Old Friends?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates.

**Author's Note: **Although I've already said it, thanks for all the reviews. Really! I love how well you guys get into this story. I respect that! Honestly! I'm sorry about last week, I was taking the SATs that time so I spent most of my time studying. And now to answer some comments:

**ArmorofGeddon: **Love that speculative thought man. I respect it, keep it up!

**Firefly25:** Thanks for the compliment! You really went into depth with that analysis and I love that scholarly feel you had going on there man.

**CloudyEros:** Thank you. Compliments like that keep me writing these stories.

**Avatar of Rage: **You asked a lot of good questions and admittedly, one of the more unique thought process. Maybe the Toad Family is one of the Boryokudan? I'll never tell.

**CreepingShadow: **Thanks for that. After reading your profile, I will update to the best of my ability. I'm sorry to hear the bad news, so here's my shout out to you, man!

Well as I promised, chapter 4 of Oyabun is up for you to read and enjoy!

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 4: Old Friends?**

Naruto woke up early the next day. As opposed to his normally cheerful disposition, he awoke agitated. After a quick breakfast, consisting of some instant ramen, Naruto ran upstairs and gathered his belongings. As he placed the last of his clothes into a backpack, he saw _Kitsune _leaning on the wall opposite of his futon. Naruto gazed at it for a long time, admiring its elegant design.

_**My blade…**_

_**An extension of myself…**_

Naruto blinked. Were those his thoughts? He heard that voice before. It asked him if he liked Kitsune. A single thought crossed Naruto's mind; An entity that haunted the worst fears of Konoha's inhabitants. A demon that wrought havoc and destruction wherever it went.

The Kyubi.

He brushed the thought off, thinking it was just his imagination. Naruto tied the katana to his waist and ran downstairs. Keitaro was waiting for him at the door. To Naruto's surprise, Keitaro wasn't wearing his usual black suit. Instead, it was a blue cloak with a matching rice hat. Naruto raised an eyebrow at Keitaro's choice in garb, finding the clothes a little unusual. Naruto opened his mouth to ask why, but Keitaro had shoved a cloak and ricehat into Naruto's arms.

"Put these on. I think I got the sizes right. Might be a little big, but you'll grow into it."

"Why do you want me to wear these?" Naruto asked.

"You don't think we want people to know who we are, did you?" Keitaro inquired. He took Naruto's silence as a no.

"Well, if I wear my usual clothes, then a lot of our _competitors_ will attack us on sight. Besides, you're orange doesn't blend in very well with the environment. It practically screams: Come And Get Me! Now put those clothes on. We want to get as far as possible before sun rises."

Naruto nodded in understanding and threw the cloak and hat on very quickly. He would never have thought it but these yakuza were pretty kind-hearted, granted their methods were questionable. He originally thought they were little more than thugs and crooks looking to steal, kill and destroy as much as possible. Naruto remembered Iruka-sensei was giving a lecture about how boryokudan would often raid poor towns for money, jewelry, and women. They committed unspeakable crimes for their own gain. But from the yakuza perspective, they seemed to be 'Chivalrous'. They actually fit the bill of a Ninkyo Dantai.

"So where are we going?" Naruto asked his _guard_ as they walked past the mangled gates of the compound.

"A coastline town just south of here. Our shatei down there is Gatou," Keitaro explained rather coolly. As Keitaro walked ahead, Naruto noticed Keitaro walked with something of a limp. Perhaps it was a wound from yesterday's fight.

Naruto was surprised to see the many villagers who greeted Keitaro casually as they walked the empty streets of the village. Many people stopped to ask Keitaro where he was going, or if he would like a snack, or if Hashi needed help repairing the damage to his manor. Keitaro would simply reply, "Sorry, need to go. We'll talk once I'm back from my business trip."

One of them inquired about Keitaro's lover and if her father knew about the relationship yet. Keitaro's face flushed when she was mentioned.

"Popular, aren't you?" Naruto said rather boldly, after someone offered Keitaro a free meal.

"Don't get me wrong kid. Whatever nonsense they fed you back at Konoha is total bull, okay? We're not thugs, we're not murderers, and we're certainly not criminals."

"Then what are you?"

"I'll let Boss Hashi tell you that."

……………

The sun was just about to break the horizon, and cast its warming light on the life below. Naruto found himself enjoying _kitsune_ a little more than he should have. He unsheathed it every now and then to admire its beauty. The sword was excellently made; it did not dull once during Hashi's fight with _Scarecrow_. In fact, Naruto noticed there seemed to be no damage to it at all, as if the sword was made yesterday.

They had ventured only a few miles into the Land of Waves and were deep inside a wooded area. AS far as the eye could see, there was nothing but forest.

Suddenly, a kunai came out of nowhere and landed inches away from Naruto. Naruto leaped back several feet, Keitaro immediately stepping in front of Naruto. _How come I couldn't hear it coming?_ Naruto asked himself.

"Who's there?" Keitaro pulled a katana from within his cloak and unsheathed it. Naruto scanned the immediate area, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Off in the corner was a snow-white rabbit sniffing the nearby bushes before disappearing into the foliage. Naruto blinked, _what's a snow rabbit doing here? It's not winter._

"This road is owned by the Kuroihi. State your business?" a gruff voice demanded.

"Zabuza right?" Keitaro said dully, putting his katana away. A man appeared. He was a large, well-built man with an equally large sword. He was almost entirely naked, save for the striped pants and bandages he chose to wear. Naruto vaguely remembered this man. He appeared in one of Naruto's dreams. Naruto quivered, remembering the events that transpired in his dream.

The man was Momochi Zabuza, otherwise known as the Demon of the Mist. Zabuza, as the leader of the coup-de-tat on Kirigakure no Sato, had a bounty on his head so large that even criminals were terrified to associate with him. The only reason he was still alive was because he found grace in the presence of the Kumicho of the Kuroihi. (Author's Note: Remember, kumicho is the title given to the gang leader.)

Naruto looked on in awe as the giant of a man unsheathed his weapon. Despite its size and weight he was able to grasp it entirely with one hand. He raised the sword over his head and swung it down. Instinctively Naruto jumped backwards. The sword dug itself into the dirt a few inches from Keitaro's foot.

"Gatou has you doing his work again?" Keitaro asked. Zabuza growled, "Your boss sent me to that man, telling me Gatou 'would be glad to look after' us. Instead, he sends me off on his errands, threatening to inform the closest shinobi village where I am if I don't do as wishes."

"Right, sorry about that," Keitaro shrugged.

"Wait, who's this?" Naruto asked impatiently. Keitaro frowned, "He's Zabuza. He's an S-rank Criminal wanted in every shinobi village for treason. We've given him a safe house; unfortunately it seems Gatou sees him as another lackey."

Zabuza grabbed Naruto by the collar of his clothes and raised the boy to eye-level. Naruto struggled, trying to loosen Zabuza's grip by squeezing the man's muscular arms.

"So, is he the one your boss is trying so hard to protect?" Zabuza asked, eyeing every corner of the blonde boy, "He doesn't look like much. What's he made of?"

Zabuza pointed a kunai at Naruto's neck.

"Put him down," Keitaro ordered Zabuza. Before Zabuza could react, Keitaro put the tip of his katana to the monster of man's neck. Zabuza was wearing a demonic smile across his face, taunting Keitaro with a shrill chuckle.

"I wouldn't do that," a boy said. Naruto and Keitaro turned to see a masked boy with long hair tied into a bun. Naruto examined the boy's garb, a simple dress kimono, and concluded one thought: _Cross-dresser. _The boy held a kunai threateningly to Keitaro's neck. Naruto could feel the tension in the air. Who ever moved first, odds are no one survives.

A rustling noise. Something or someone was hiding in the bushes. The masked boy flung two senbon needles into the foliage. An orange toad in a blue jacket leaped out, angrily shouting, "What are you trying to do? Kill me?"

Naruto recognized the toad immediately, "Gamakichi? What are you doing here?"

"What? A toad can't go on a vacation?" he smart-mouthed. The masked boy grabbed the toad by the vest and held him to his face. Gamakichi squirmed, and stuck his tounge out at the boy.

"It's funny that a toad should talk. The last time I checked, only a ninja summoned toad could talk," he answered. Gamakichi froze, stuttering, "Uh…I…I'm…they're…er…it…um…"

"And only one village holds the scroll to summon toads," the boy raised a kunai to Gamakichi's throat.

"Let him go!" Naruto yelled at the boy, this time swinging his legs wildly to loosen Zabuza's grip. Keitaro withdrew his katana from Zabuza's throat and grabbed Naruto out of Zabuza's hands.

"Funny, that it's the same village our client is on the run from," the boy said. Gamakichi was shaking furiously now, sputtering out random words.

"Konohagakure no Sato."

"Konoha…" the word was venom to Naruto's ears. His face went from utter surprise to pure anger. How could Naruto have missed it? The ANBU attacking on the same day Gamakichi shows up. Naruto had practically given Gamakichi a tour of the manor. It would explain why the attack was so well coordinated. At that moment, Naruto wanted only one thing: Gamakichi dead. Keitaro noticed Naruto's eyes flashed red again.

Naruto didn't know what to say to the toad. Gamakichi…was an enemy?

"It's not what it looks like! Honest! I'm just a victim of circumstance!" Gamakichi pleaded. The masked boy sighed in frustration, "Then why _are_ you here?"

"I said I was on vacation, right? I'm taking a tour of the world! You know, seeing the sights and everything," Gamakichi explained, "And I was off to the Land of Waves next. I hear they have a lot of nice hot springs if you know what I mean!"

Naruto felt a mixed wave of relief and anger crash over him. On the one hand, he could take Gamakichi's word and dismiss the coincidence of the attack and his appearance. On the other hand, Gamakichi may have been lying to save his own skin. Naruto tightened his fist. Keitaro groaned, "We can't just let him go. He'll blab what he heard to the next Konoha shinobi he meets."

"I guess we'll just have to get rid of him," Zabuza declared, "Haku, you know what to do."

"Hey wait! Naruto help me out here!" Gamakichi begged the former academy student. Naruto didn't want to even look in Gamakichi's direction.

Haku drew two kunai.

"Wait! Can't we discuss this?"

Haku raised the toad to eye level.

"Don't I get a last wish?"

Haku thrust the kunai. Gamakichi cringed.

"Don't hurt him!"

There a momentary silence as these words left Naruto's mouth. Zabuza glared from Naruto to Haku to Keitaro. Keitaro sighed, "What do you think, then?"

Naruto chose his next words very carefully, "Why don't we bring him along? I'm sure you could use him as leverage against whoever summoned him. Besides, he would be a good pet."

As Naruto said these words, not once did he turn to look at the group. Instead, Naruto seemed to have grown fascinated with his own two feet.

"Pet?" Gamakichi said in a displeased tone. Keitaro sighed again, "Fine…we'll keep him."

"You're going to listen to the brat?" Zabuza groaned. Keitaro grabbed a rope from inside his bag and tied the toad up, Zabuza continuing to voice his dissension. Afterwards, Keitaro pulled a pouch from within his bag and placed the restricted toad within it. The pouch was big enough to hold Gamakichi, only Gamakichi's head stuck out. Keitaro tightened the pouch around his neck, so he resembled a toad in a sleeping bag.

Keitaro handed the tied up toad to Naruto, "Hold him."

"Huh?"

"You said you wanted a pet," Keitaro rolled his eyes.

"Hey! I didn't mean," Keitaro was already out of ear shot. Naruto chased after him, shouting rather loudly.

"What do you think?" Haku asked as the two steadily went further and further away.

"I think trusting a Boryokudan to hide us was the worst idea you've ever had," Zabuza said bluntly. Haku frowned underneath his mask.

……………

Keitaro and Naruto reached the small town in a matter of hours. It was another border town, but a massive expanse of water separated the Land of Waves and the Land of Fire. That, and a mass of whirlpools and dangerous currents.

Naruto's jaw dropped once they entered the small town. It seemed as if a tornado or something of the sort ran through it. Garbage littered the streets, thrown aside carelessly. Underfed stray animals wandered the alleys aimlessly hoping to find any form of nourishment: living or dead. Children in rags begged the passerby's for money, which none could offer.

"What happened here?" Naruto asked. His _mentor_ groaned, muttering something about Gatou.

"What a dump," Gamakichi declared rather loudly. Everyone within earshot shot Naruto an evil glare. Keitaro smacked the back of Naruto's head, "Show some respect kid!"

Naruto retaliated by flicking Gamakichi's nose and whispering, "Shut your trap!"

"Alright, Boss Hashi's already set up a place for us to stay," Keitaro said. The two navigated the maze of streets, turning left and right at random intervals. Unsurprisingly, there was not much change in the scenery as they traversed the roads. Eventually they reached an inn that towered over the other buildings. It was also the most noticeable since it was the only one with a properly functioning neon sign.

The interior was a lavish contrast to the town. Whereas the town seemed ransacked and filthy, the inn was adorned with an elegant array of curtains, rugs and furniture. To the side was a counter where one of the employees was busily sorting through the attendants' mail. Keitaro approached it and rung the bell.

"Hmm?" the employee seemed to have been pulled out of her work, "Oh I'm sorry. Welcome to our humble inn. How may I help you?"

"Hello," Keitaro said rather kindly, "My boss booked a room for two."

"Let me see," she said, opening a large book and scanning it quickly.

"Momiji Hashi, correct?" she looked from Keitaro to Naruto.

"Yes, mam."

"Here are you're room keys. You're room is on the second floor, third on the right from the stairs. The outdoor baths are open from 6 AM to 9 PM and the kitchen is open from 8 AM to 9 PM. We hope you enjoy your stay."

"We will," Keitaro said, receiving the room keys and handing one to Naruto. The two were about to climb the stairs, but the woman quickly mentioned, "Excuse me! This is a no pet or weapon facility!"

"Huh?" Naruto realized _Kitsune_ was still tied to his waist and the tied up Gamakichi was still hanging from his waist. Gamakichi had remained silent for so long Naruto had forgotten he was there. Speaking of Gamakichi, Naruto still had no idea what he was going to do with him. He couldn't hold on tom him forever. Surely, if Gamakichi had a summoner he would just summon Gamakichi on the spot. Then Gamakichi would blab everything. If Gamakichi didn't, then he had no use for him and Keitaro would most likely do away with him.

Keitaro let out a frustrated sigh, "I'll take care of this Naruto. Take my stuff upstairs."

Naruto took Keitaro's things and quickly headed upstairs to their assigned room. Their room was small, rather quaint, with two futons and an open window. There was not much to mention aside from one bathroom with a broken sink and one lamp that hung from the wall.

Naruto set the things down and untied Gamakichi from his restraints. Gamakichi rubbed his legs and neck, "What are you doing?"

"That's thrice I've helped you," Naruto blatantly said. Gamakichi tilted his head, "You tie me up and tell me you've helped me out thrice?"

"The first was back at Hashi-sensei's manor, when I gave you something to eat. You decided to leave the kitchen a mess and I got stuck cleaning it all up," Naruto said menacingly to the cowering toad. He advanced on the small critters position.

"I guess now would be a bad time to say sorry?" Gamakichi said desperately, backing against the wall.

"The second was back in the forest when I convinced the others to let you live," Naruto said, grabbing the toad. Naruto walked over to the window and opened it. He held Gamakichi out the window. They were two stories up and, ninja toad or not, there was no way Gamakichi would survive the fall.

"Whoa! Don't do anything rash kid! Can't we talk this out? I mean, I'm not ungrateful but this is no way to solve a-"

"The third is me letting you go," Naruto said calmly, placing the toad on the ledge of the window.

"Letting me go?" Gamakichi repeated. Naruto could sense the toad's confusion and said, "Look…I don't want anything to do with Konoha, okay?"

Gamakichi nodded.

"So if they find out you're missing, I'm going to get the blame for it one way or another. So I'd rather you just go, okay? I don't really want a pet anyway."

"You're letting me go? Just like that?" Gamakichi asked.

"Look, if you really were summoned, wouldn't your master have summoned you by now?" Naruto reasoned.

"But I'm not a summon," Gamakichi explained. Naruto nodded, "I figured as much. Now will you get?"

"Thanks Naruto," the toad said sheepishly. The toad turned to depart.

"Here," Gamakichi handed Naruto a scroll.

"What's this?" he asked.

"I figure I at least owe you one after all you've done," Gamakichi explained, hanging his head low, "So if you ever need anything just open that scroll."

With that, Gamakichi was off. Naruto felt a strange displacement once the toad was gone. He didn't know why, but Naruto assumed it made no difference. What's done is done. Naruto quickly unsheathed Kitsune again, wanting to admire it a little more. As Naruto admired every angle of the blade, he felt a strange fixation to it. Somehow, he had known this katana his whole life. It was like an old friend in his hands.

_**Kitsune…**_

"Hey Naruto, want some ramen?" Keitaro said through the door. Naruto was pulled out of his trance. His face lit up at the mere mention of the word, "Sure!"

"Alright, then," Keitaro said. Naruto quickly tied _Kitsune_ to his waist and they were off.

They stopped to eat at a small ramen shop in one of the poorer areas. Keitaro felt it would be a good way to help the locals if they shopped in the poorer areas to help the local economy. The ramen shop reminded Naruto of the Ichiraku back in…well, he didn't want to remember it. Naruto and Keitaro took their seats at the counter. Naruto asked for Pork Ramen while Keitaro asked for a bottle of their strongest sake.

Naruto was uncomfortable while eating his first bowl of ramen. As he ate, he could feel those nearby watching his every bite. He could feel some sort of judgment pass over him; they were waiting for him to drop something. After all, many of the nearby persons would have graciously given an arm and a leg for some nourishment. What difference did a crumb make?

Halfway through his bowl he stopped eating. Keitaro, who was drinking nothing but sake, noticed this and asked, "Something wrong?"

"Nothing," Naruto lied. He could feel someone's eyes on him. It was nerve racking to think how many people were watching him eat. Just when Naruto thought things couldn't get any worse, they did.

"Let's eat here," said a familiar voice. Naruto panicked. _Scarecrow_, he thought. Keitaro heard it too and quickly lowered Naruto's ricehat and raised the collars of his cloak. He mouthed two words, "Say Nothing."

Keitaro quickly poured sake into his cup and downed it all at once.

"Come on Kakashi-sensei, can't we eat somewhere else?" asked a purely feminine voice. Five occupants entered the small shop.

"I thought you were the one asking to stop and eat," Kakashi answered. The girl groaned, "I didn't mean in a ramen shop."

The girl sat down at the counter next to Naruto. From the corner of his eye, Naruto could see the familiar strands of cherry pink hair and the red dress. It was undoubtedly Haruno Sakura. She was one of the students who passed the graduation exam and became genin.

"So Sasuke what are you going to order?" She asked him. Naruto blinked upon hearing that name. Sasuke was the one person Naruto hated the most. Sasuke was the best student at the academy, a descendant of the _all-mighty_ Uchiha clan, the dream husband of every girl and the envy of every guy. He also graduated at the top of the class, making him the number one rookie genin. Naruto hated him indefinitely.

"I'm not hungry," he said blatantly. Sakura almost fell over in surprise. It was obvious she intended to order whatever he ordered in a vain effort to impress him.

"I'll take a beef ramen," said the rough voice of an elderly man. Although he was three seats away from Naruto, he could smell the alcohol in his breath.

"Same here," Kakashi said.

"I'd like some too," said a third voice. Naruto found this voice hard to place. It sounded vaguely familiar but he didn't know why. It carried an air of mixed confidence and pain. As if the owner was trying to be strong to hide their true feelings. Naruto finished his ramen, still trying to place the voice. During the conversation a light conversation picked up between Sakura and the other person.

"It's hard to think he, of all people, would leave the village," Sakura said, shamelessly helping herself to some more noodles.

"…"

"I mean, he was always saying he was going to be greater than the other hokage. I just can't believe it," Sakura said again. It was obvious the two were talking about him. The two of them began to name a list of _crimes_ he had commited: Killing three shinobi, beating a Konoha citizen to death, Bribing several citizens to leave him alone.

"Well, now he's been declared an S-Rank Criminal," Kakashi added, "Which means kill on sight."

Naruto coughed at that remark. The genin and their sensei ignored him. The conversation shifted to their mission, which had reached some invariable complication. Apparently the team ran into a complication with a rouge ninja by the name of Zabuza. Naruto snickered at the mention of the man, _Serves Kakashi right._

Keitaro nudged Naruto in the ribs and Naruto knew it was time to go. Keitaro got up to leave, and Naruto followed after him. Unfortunately, Naruto tripped on his cloak and he fell face down on the ground.

"Are you alr-?" Sakura was about to ask. She gasped rather loudly. As Naruto picked himself up he realized his hat had fallen off. Naruto's face went numb with fear. He turned to see the surprised Sakura who mumbled, "Naruto?"

"Um…hi?"

……………

**Author's Note:** How's Naruto going to get out of this one? Tune in two weeks from now, December 21st, to find out. Let me know what you thought! I'm up for critiques or suggestions if anyone has some. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	5. Gatou

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates.

**Author's Notes:** Thanks a bunch for those wonderful reviews! It makes me happy to read all the positive reaction this story's getting. Seriously, thanks! I'm sorry if it's a little late, but better late than never, right? I'm sorry if the quality of this chapter might not be up to par with the others since it was a very, very very last minute throw together. Now, on to answer some comments and questions:

**Draag: **Thanks for the advice and I'm glad you enjoyed it.

**AvatarofRage:** "More refined" -that's one hell of a compliment and an analysis which I respect. Thanks. For the record, I'm not a big Inuyasha fan so _Kitsune_ will not transform like the Tessaiga. Anyway, Keitaro won't die…yet. Also the third member of Team 7 isn't an OC. In fact, we all know this character rather well, and I'm rather fond of pairings with this character and Naruto. Keep up that analysis man because it's utter brilliance.

**Akina no Onryou: **Thank you for the kind words and I'm glad to have the kind of story you've been looking for.

**Gvo: **I'm happy you enjoyed your first crime based story.

**Peter Kim:** I see you chose to be anonymous. Anyway, your speculation is something I applaud. But let's say the chunin exam arc will be a little more interesting with Konoha's invasion.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 5: Gatou**

"Are you alr-?" Sakura asked the boy who fell over. She gasped when she saw the familiar blonde hair, the longing sky blue eyes, and the ever remarkable whisker like birth marks. Of all people, he just had to be the one, "Naruto?"

The blonde looked up in a daze, "Um…Hi?"

……………

Naruto cursed his luck. He found himself at a loss for words. He wanted to run, but his feet refused to move. The moment hung in a tense silence. Naruto's gaze wandered from Sakura to Sasuke. Unlike Sakura, Sasuke seemed perfectly calm about the situation. Naruto then looked at the old man, who was caught in a drunken haze. His eyes gradually met Kakashi's. Kakashi's expression was difficult to make out since a mask covered most of his face. Finally he saw the third genin of the group.

He immediately knew who it was, he just didn't know her name. Her face contorted from surprise, to sorrow, to anger. She looked away. Nobody moved for the longest time.

What should Naruto do? He couldn't run, they would just catch up to him and kill him. He could fight but the odds favored the shinobi even with Keitaro.

It was Kakashi who rose from his seat first. In his hand was a kunai, which he gripped dangerously hard. He approached Naruto slowly, as if taking his time to avoid what would happen next. He stopped inches in front of Naruto and stared at the blond. Naruto froze to his spot, unable to move. A chill ran down his spine. He tried to get up and run, but his legs refused to move. His gaze went over to Sakura, who wore a terrified expression on her face.

"Er…" she stuttered. Naruto felt Kakashi's ice cold stare on him. Fear tied him down, restraining his muscles from moving. His eyes pleaded with Sakura. She turned away, unable to look at her former classmate. Naruto's view shifted to Sasuke, still unconcerned about the events unfolding before him. He watched with a mix of amusement and disinterest. Finally his eyes rested on the third team member. She refused to meet his gaze and instead busied herself with her ramen.

Naruto looked into her pale, pupil less eyes and saw nothing.

Her eyes were cold and empty.

Although she didn't show it, she was in pain. Not the physical pain of getting a scratch from kunai or being tired after a long training session. It was an emotional pain. A pain Naruto knew all too well. He wanted to say something to her, anything that would help her, but fear crippled his ability to talk. Kakashi scanned Naruto and raised the kunai. But for some reason he paused. Naruto didn't know why, but Kakashi was hesitating.

"Minato-Sensei," Kakashi murmured. Kakashi examined the kunai in his hand before his arm dropped to his side.

"Who?" Naruto asked. Kakashi ignored Naruto's question and looked at Keitaro.

"Sora Keitaro," Kakashi said rather calmly, "I take it you're Naruto's bodyguard?"

Keitaro stepped in front of Naruto, holding his katana menacingly. Kakashi seemed amused to see Keitaro. Naruto could only guess why.

"I hope you don't intend to use that kunai to hurt anyone," Keitaro said. As Keitaro said these words, Naruto noticed the villagers were beginning to go inside the nearby buildings. Even the owner of the ramen shop left, disappearing into the kitchen in the back of the store.

SHINK!

Keitaro used his katana to block Kakashi's kunai. Kakashi glared at Keitaro nastily. Keitaro calmly smiled, to Kakashi's annoyance.

What happened next caught everyone by surprise. Someone threw two smoke bombs at Kakashi and Keitaro. The resulting smoke screen blinded everyone with a thick white fog. Almost immediately, Keitaro grabbed Naruto's shoulder and shouted, "RUN!"

Adrenaline filled every vein in Naruto's body, and the shackles of fear broke. Before Naruto realized it, he was sprinting down the village streets.

"Don't let them get away!" Kakashi shouted after them.

The academy training, and the constant chases from Konoha's citizens, paid off well. Naruto was able to give huge bursts of energy with step he took. But Keitaro's leg was still injured from the fight, the night before. He limped behind Naruto, doing his best to keep up but still remaining a shadow's distance behind the blonde. As they raced through the streets, Sasuke appeared behind the pair and unleashed a barrage of kunai.

Again, Naruto's time at the academy proved useful. The many drills Iruka-sensei put him through flooded back into Naruto's mind. Sasuke's left handed, so more kunai would come from the left. If Naruto was lucky, most of the kunai would curve to the right…

There was a burning sensation on Naruto's right cheek.

"OUCH!" Naruto screamed. A kunai scratched his cheek, cutting deep into his skin. Naruto grabbed the side of his face in pain. He could feel the blood gushing into his side. _**Make him pay…Make him bleed**_Naruto thought. He reached for Kitsune's hilt with his spare hand.

"Don't use your sword!" Keitaro barked, bringing Naruto out of his blood lusting state, "It'll only justify what they're doing! The last thing we need is to give them a legitimate reason to kill you."

Naruto realized what he was about to do and released _Kitsune's_ handle. What was he thinking? If Konoha was mad at him for doing nothing, imagine what they would do if he killed their shinobi. Especially their '_precious'_ Sasuke, whom everyone agreed was the pride of the village. They continued running, cutting through several alleyways in the hope of confusing their pursuer. As they ran, the barrage of kunai grew increasingly frantic. Sasuke seemed less concerned with hitting Naruto and Keitaro, and more concerned with throwing as much kunai as he could.

"Naruto!" Keitaro began, "We have to ditch this kid! If he keeps throwing kunai like this, he's going to kill someone."

As Keitaro said this, a kunai barely missed a woman holding a crying baby.

"So where do we go?" Naruto asked. Keitaro took the lead and said, "This way."

They turned a corner and Naruto laid eyes on an office building just down an empty street. Much like the hotel, it was more extravagant than the surrounding buildings. A fresh coat of paint covered the building. Along the front entrance was a large sign reading: GATOU CORPORATION. Tall walls surrounded the perimeter of the building, hiding a beautiful garden decorated with statues and fountains of many designs. The only entrance was an old iron gate where two men stood guard.

As they ran, Sasuke appeared in front of them with kunai in both hands. Sasuke hurled them at Naruto. In that instant, Naruto forgot why he wasn't using his katana. Naruto unsheathed Kitsune and blocked each of the kunai.

From behind Naruto, Keitaro gave a loud yelp. Surprise etched itself on Naruto's face as a hand drag Keitaro neck deep into the ground.

"Well, that went better than I hoped," Kakashi's sly voice rang. Naruto scanned around and saw the jonin standing on the roof of a store, "I'm sure you can handle him by yourself. Right, Sasuke?"

Sasuke nodded and advanced on the blonde. Naruto backed against the wall, his face turning as white as snow. Keitaro, still buried neck deep into the ground, shouted, "Get out of here! Run!"

What was he supposed to do? He couldn't leave Keitaro alone with these two.

Sasuke took his kunai and prepared to strike.

CLANG!

Sasuke's face twisted in surprise. Naruto used _kitsune _and blocked Sasuke's kunai. The two of them locked in a stalemate, Sasuke pushing down on the sword the sword with all his might. From above, Kakashi mused at the struggle between the two. What occurred to Naruto was Kakashi's refusal to help Sasuke. First, Kakashi hesitated to kill him. Then, Kakashi refuses to help Sasuke. Why? What was holding Kakashi back? Naruto was able to knock Sasuke back and stand up on his two feet.

Naruto grasped Kitsune with two hands, the way Hashi-sensei instructed him. Naruto calmed himself and took deep breaths. His thoughts went back to his lesson. Sasuke, annoyed at Naruto's ability to stop him so easily, threw himself at the blonde with a kunai in each hand.

Naruto skillfully blocked both of them. Naruto smiled at his small victory, when he felt someone kick the back of his head. Naruto caught himself and landed behind Sasuke. He looked up and saw Sakura standing triumphantly where Naruto was seconds ago. Naruto scowled.

"Sorry…" Sakura murmured.

Naruto raised _Kitsune_ again, taking the defensive stance Hashi-sensei taught him.

"Kakashi-sensei…" Sakura said almost pleadingly. Kakashi shook his head. This time, Naruto attacked first. He swung _Kitsune_ down, missing Sasuke by mere inches. Sasuke countered by throwing kunai at Naruto. Naruto ducked down, and the kunai flew past him.

Naruto took his katana and instantly began attacking Sasuke again. Naruto swung _kitsune_ furiously, but Sasuke easily dodged each strike. _Why can't I hit him? _Naruto clenched his teeth in anger. With each swing, Naruto became increasingly tired.

Eventually, Naruto collapsed from the fatigue, no longer able to keep up his barrage. Sasuke smirked.

"Idiot," Sasuke taunted, "No wonder you failed the graduation exam."

Memories of Naruto's academy days flooded into his head. No matter what he did, Iruka always berated Naruto for never properly performing jutsu. Then the students would laugh. Naruto would say he was going be greater than all of them. Then someone would make a smart-mouth comment. The process went on until Naruto wound up eating his own words.

"Shut up," Naruto said. Hot tears welled in his eyes.

"What's the matter? Gonna _cry_?"

"SHUT UP!" Naruto threw himself as Sasuke. In a quick exchange of fists, Naruto pinned Sasuke to the ground. Naruto had his hand wrapped around Sasuke's neck, trying to choke the genin. Sasuke was gagging rather loudly, trying to pry Naruto off. With his other hand, Naruto held _Kitsune_ to Sasuke's stomach.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?" someone demanded. All heads turned on a short, fat man in a yellow shirt and black slacks. He wore a purple tie and a black coat, and fashioned his hair back. With one hand he stroked a thin mustache and with his other he held an ornate cane with diamond on the end which he caressed.

The two guards Naruto saw earlier were trying to dig out Keitaro, who was grumbling about lateness. Two others, wearing bandanas and torn clothes, brandished their weapons angrily. Sasuke scrambled onto his feet and drew several kunai.

The short man walked his way over to Kakashi, carrying himself as if there were a large weight on his shoulders. There was a very obvious height difference of several feet between the man and Kakashi.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" the man demanded threateningly yet respectfully.

"We're shinobi from Konohagakure no Sato," Kakashi answered. Naruto watched with interest as a smile grew on the man's face.

"A little far from home, aren't we?" the man growled, "I'm well within my right to kill you and you're brats after the mess you made on my property."

"We're on a routine Escort/Protection mission," Kakashi explained as he pushed Sasuke and Sakura behind him. The man smiled, "Really? Then where's the client?"

Kakashi was at a loss for words. Naruto couldn't believe it. This man outwitted the shinobi and could kill them if he wanted. Still, the man surprised Naruto again with his next action.

"Listen. I'm a man of reason. So why don't we make bargain? I'll let you and your kids over there go. In exchange, all I want is for you to leave me and my interests alone. Got that?"

Naruto's jaw dropped. The man was reasoning with them? Not only that, but he was letting them go when he held all the cards? Naruto wanted to protest to protest but stopped when he realized Keitaro was standing next to him.

"Relax, Gatou knows what he's doing," Keitaro informed Naruto. _Gatou? This was the shatei?_ The one Zabuza scorned? He didn't seem all that bad. In fact, he seemed quite the contrary.

"So, what do you say?" Gatou asked the jonin. Kakashi sighed in defeat, "We'll go. Sasuke, Sakura, let's go find Hinata."

The three ninja disappeared with the common shinobi exit: a smoke bomb followed by a quick disappearance. Once the smoke cleared, Gatou walked over to Keitaro and Naruto, "Keitaro! It's been too long. How are things with you and your...you know?"

"Good," Keitaro answered. Gatou smiled at the answer. Not the same cold smile he gave Kakashi. It was a warmer smile, the kind given to an old friend, "So…this is Hashi's brat, huh?"

"Who are you calling a brat!?" Naruto demanded. Maybe Zabuza was right. Maybe he Gatou is a jerk. Gatou laughed, "I didn't mean anything by it. Come! Let's go inside. It's late and you two must be tired. That scratch needs to get looked at."

Naruto remembered the cut Sasuke's kunai gave him and put his hand over it. The bleeding stopped, but it was still sore. Naruto could feel the blood beginning to dry on his cheek.

"Yes, thank you," Keitaro answered. He followed after Gatou as he entered the building. Naruto followed after them, still fuming about Gatou's _brat_ comment. Inside the building, Naruto saw a grander version of the hotel lobby. Every wall was covered with elaborately made paintings and the windows were adorned with beautiful silk curtains. Overhead was a glass chandelier that cast light throughout the lobby. There was a large desk where two women were filling out paperwork and placing it in various boxes. Gatou approached one of the woman and asked them to get a doctor. The woman nodded and left.

"She'll just be a minute. Hashi sent me a letter ahead of time," Gatou said, "and explained the situation to me. Naruto, was it?"

"Yeah…" Naruto answered bitterly.

"Right, we have a safe house set up for you. It's not as nice as the hotel, but it'll do for now. We'll move you there in a week."

"Why so long?" Keitaro asked. Naruto found himself wondering the same thing.

"Simple," Gatou explained, ". Hashi asked us to make sure no harm comes to you so we're setting up some preventative measures so there are no problems with shinobi or rival families"

"Wait, what?" Naruto asked. Keitaro groaned, "He means they're just doing a little more work to make sure it's safe from anyone who wants you dead."

"Oh…I get it," Naruto answered. The woman returned with a doctor behind her, she pointed at Gatou and returned to her work at the desk.

"Did you need something?" the doctor asked. Gatou nodded, "Yeah, take a look at Naruto here will ya?"

The doctor nodded, and motioned for Naruto to follow him. Naruto followed the doctor down a dark hallway, leaving Gatou and Keitaro at the lobby. As he left, he heard Gatou say, "I have a proposition for you, Keitaro."

………………

**Author's Note:** What is Gatou's proposition? Tune in on Christmas day, to find out. Let me know what you thought! I'm up for critiques or suggestions if anyone has some. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	6. The Training Exercise

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates.

**Author's Notes:** Merry Christmas guys and gals! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I'm really happy to see how much you guys love this story! Seriously, thank you! The quality for this chapter may not be up to par since I put it together in just 4 days so I apologize if there's something wrong with the story. Now, as is customary, I'd like to respond to everyone who was kind enough to leave a review or comment:

**Akina no Onryou:** Thanks for the compliment. I have to admit, I kind of wanted more Sasuke bashing but it was _very_ last minute throw together.

**Avatarofrage: **I honestly love your analysis and input, man. It's awesome. As per your Gatou comment: Gatou is to Don Fanucci as Naruto is to Vito Corleone. As for Naruto's swordsmanship: yeah, it sucks. But Remember: Naruto is known for surprising people!

**TheGreatChan:** Naruto won't switch sides. He'll be with the Kuroihi for the remainder of the story.

**Peter Kim: **Still hiding behind anonymity I see. I appreciate your input and value your opinion. Thanks for it!, but Naruto isn't going back down the trail of a shinobi. I won't say what Naruto will be doing during the Chunin Exam, but he will have a major role in the outcome of the third exam.

**CloudyEros:** Thank you for the compliment, but I'm kind of curious what you mean by read it.

**Kurama:** I'd like to thank you for giving my story a chance, and I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I also appreciate your input as well. I loved the plot you pitched, and I'd like to use it if it's okay with you.

**Ian Graeme** Thanks for your positive words.

And so, without further distraction, I present to you the next installment of Oyabun.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 6: The Training Exercise**

The doctor rubbed alcohol wipes on Naruto's cheek. The stinging sensation caused Naruto to cringe and squeeze the chair he was sitting on. The doctor produced a string and a needle, and began to stitch the cut.

"Look's like the bleeding stopped," the doctor commented, "There are no signs of infection, but I have to admit: it's healing peculiarly fast for a cut this deep."

Naruto cringed as he felt the needle weave in and out of his skin. The doctor cut the string as finished the stitches, "There's going to be a scar there. The wound healed too quickly so there's no chance the scar will ever go away."

Naruto rolled his eyes. _Stupid Sasuke. This scratch is his fault, _Naruto thought as the doctor rubbed an alcohol wipe over the wound. It stung his scarred cheek. He bit his lips, squeezing the chair he was sitting on as a reaction to the pain. Naruto's thought drifted towards the fight with Sasuke. He must have looked like a complete idiot. Sasuke hit him plenty of times but Naruto couldn't hit Sasuke once. Why!? What did he do wrong? He did exactly as Hashi-sensei taught him. What did he do wrong? Was Sasuke just that good? NO! Naruto refused to accept that! He would never accept that!

"Is that your katana?" the doctor asked, pointing at _Kitsune_. Naruto, pulled out of his own internal rant, realized he was holding _Kitsune_ unnaturally close. He didn't know why, but it seemed natural for the katana to be this close. WAIT! What was he thinking? He must be crazy to even think that. Naruto laid the sword against the wall and nodded.

"Better be careful, otherwise you'll get a cut that can't be stitched," the doctor warned, "All done."

Naruto stood up, rubbing his still sore cheek, "Thanks. Do you know where Keitaro and Gatou went?"

"Probably in Gatou's office," the doctor said, "He usually goes there when a 'business associate' comes by. But you'd better wait in the lobby."

"What, why?" Naruto asked. The doctor and Naruto left the room, walking down the hallway to the lobby.

"Gatou isn't every fond of being disturbed during a business meeting," the doctor said, "The last guy who broke in was…well…it's better not to say."

Naruto saw a tear slide down the doctor's eye

The doctor left Naruto waiting on an arm chair in the lobby before disappearing into the building. The lobby was quiet, except for the scribbling noises the two secretaries made as they went through paperwork. Naruto distracted himself from boredom by staring out the window. It was night outside. The sun disappeared beyond the horizon, the moon taking its place in the starry sky. Naruto's thoughts still lingered on the fight. He retraced every movement he and Sasuke made. Naruto's strikes should have hit their mark, but Sasuke was always able to dodge them. Was it because he was faster? No…it couldn't be. What went wrong?

Naruto growled in frustration. Then Naruto remembered the training Keitaro was supposed to give Naruto. Maybe Naruto could ask Keitaro. After all, Keitaro was Hashi's number two man. Surely he would know.

"YOU'RE MAKING A HUGE MISTAKE KEITARO!" Gatou's angry voice broke the tranquility of the lobby. Naruto and the two secretaries looked at the top of the staircase. Keitaro was descending the stairs quickly, with an angry Gatou after his tail, "Listen to me, you can be rich! You would have anything in your wildest dreams! You wouldn't have to worry about _him_!"

"I told you, I'm not interested," Keitaro said, maintaining his calm composure. Naruto couldn't believe the complete change in Gatou's attitude. The cheery disposition Naruto saw earlier was gone and replaced with a more aggressive state. It fit Gatou's personality a lot more than it should have though. Naruto didn't know which attitude he preferred more.

Gatou threw his cane at Keitaro, who side stepped just as it was about to hit him. Gritting his teeth, Gatou threatened, "You're going to regret this! You and you're pretty girl!"

Keitaro stopped in his tracks and faced Gatou who was already at a height disadvantage.

"If you have any honor left in you, you will never and I mean never: Bring her into this!" Keitaro warned. Gatou smirked cunningly, "Did I touch a nerve?"

"Shut up," Keitaro barked. Gatou, satisfied with Keitaro's reaction, climbed the stairs and disappeared. Keitaro turned to see the surprised look on the secretaries faces and shouted, "DON'T YOU HAVE WORK TO DO!?"

The panicked secretaries returned to their paperwork, obviously terrified of Keitaro's seething rage. He marched over to Naruto, "The doctor take care of you?"

"Yeah," Naruto said sheepishly, "What was that about?"

"Nothing, we're going back to the inn," Keitaro said. Keitaro stormed out of the compound, with Naruto trailing behind him. Naruto wanted to keep pace with Keitaro, which was easy considering Keitaro's limp, but didn't want to get near Keitaro. Keitaro was overflowing with rage, and seemed ready to snap at the next person to talk to him. Naruto assumed it was because of Gatou's threat: _You're going to regret this! You and you're pretty girl!_ Naruto wanted to ask about his training, but he decided against it. Bothering Keitaro didn't seem like the smart decision right now.

Instead, he decided to enjoy the serene silence of the village. At least he tried, but the number of homeless citizens proved too distracting. There were many people spread out across the street, enduring the cold night's chill with only newspapers to keep themselves warm. Grief struck Naruto when he saw a family of five, two parents and their children, huddling together to keep warm.

"Terrible, isn't it?" Keitaro commented.

"Yeah…why is the village like this?" Naruto asked. Keitaro didn't answer, leaving Naruto to ponder the answer to this question.

……………

When they entered the inn, Naruto saw the clerk glance at Keitaro and then blush. She smiled politely at Keitaro but appeared distraught to see he didn't return the smile. As witness to this event, Naruto couldn't help but ask, "What was that about?"

"Nothing," Keitaro answered, his face turning a curious shade of pink.

"It doesn't look like _nothing_," Naruto answered slyly. Keitaro's face turned a deeper shade of red.

"Why don't you run upstairs while I go get some food," Keitaro tried to divert the question. He pushed Naruto towards the stairs before racing off to the kitchen. Naruto climbed the stairs quietly before entering their room. The light bulb buzzed loudly as Naruto turned it on. The ear splitting noise gave Naruto a headache so he turned it off.

He walked across the room and sat on the window sill, staring at the pale moon. It reminded him of the pale eyes of the third team member in Sasuke's team: Hinata. Hyuga Hinata, if he remembered correctly. She was a quiet girl, and she didn't regularly make eye contact with Naruto. He didn't know why, but he assumed it was because she hated him like the rest of the village. The rest of the village either never looked at him or talked to him…or even acknowledged he was there. She was undoubtedly the same, since she never spoke when he came into ear shot or looked at his general direction.

"The toad escaped," Keitaro's voice surprise Naruto, who fell off the window and onto the floor with a thud.

"Do fall over yourself a lot?" Keitaro asked. Naruto looked up at Keitaro and saw two bowls in his hands. Keitaro placed the bowls down on the window ledge before offering Naruto a free hand. Naruto gladly accepted it.

"I let Gamakichi go," Naruto explained as Keitaro pulled him up.

"You let him go?" Keitaro repeated, "Were you trying to be cool by copying Gatou?"

"What? No, I-"

"That really wasn't a smart move," Keitaro commented with a calm voice, "Never copy Gatou ever again. In our _business_, being merciful can be very dangerous. Trust me, he's going to _regret_ letting those ninja go."

"Well, I'm sorry but it's not like I-"

"It's alright. It was an honest mistake," Keitaro interrupted Naruto again, "We're just going to need to be cautious from now on. Now, let's talk about your technique."

"My technique?" Naruto asked. Keitaro was diverting the conversation again. Was there a reason for it? Regardless, Naruto wondered what Keitaro meant by technique.

"Yeah…" Keitaro reached inside his cloak and retrieved a pack of cigarettes. _Keitaro smokes?_ Naruto thought as the man strode past him. Keitaro limped over to the window and pulled one out of the box, "You don't mind, do you?"

"No," he answered. Keitaro nodded and passed Naruto one of the bowls. It was filled with rice and two fried fish. Naruto took a bite out of one of the fish as Keitaro lit one of his cigarettes. Keitaro took a long drag on it before he blew smoke out the window.

"You're technique lacks discipline and refinement. Don't get me wrong, you did fine defending yourself but your attack…it sucks," Keitaro explained rather bluntly. Naruto dropped his head, _SUCKS!? _

"What did I do wrong?" Naruto asked, trying to control the desire to hit his bodyguard. Keitaro took a long drag on his cigarette before tossing out the window, "You weren't really aiming when you swung your katana around like a madman were you?"

"Aim?" Naruto questioned, "I'm supposed to aim?"

"Of course! Otherwise you'd never hit anyone unless they were standing still…And even then you put so much energy into your swing that there's chance it'll miss."

Is that what Naruto forgot to consider? His aim? It would explain Sasuke's ability to perfectly dodge each swing. Still, if Naruto's aim was a problem then he needed to perfect it. There is no way Naruto would let Sasuke beat him again!

"You also waste a lot of energy with each swing. Although you have a lot of it," Keitaro went on.

"Wasting my energy?" Naruto had no idea swordsmanship would be so complex.

"You throw _Kitsune_ around like it's a club. It's a sword, not a frying pan. The harder you swing, the worse your aim will be. You also tire yourself faster, which is why you collapsed after one minute."

Shock etched itself onto Naruto's face at the revelation. The blonde refused to believe he lost after one minute. Keitaro lit another cigarette, "You've got a lot of work cut out for yourself."

……………

The next morning, Keitaro and Naruto ventured out into the woods after a quick breakfast of fried rice and soup. In his hands, Keitaro was holding two shinai.

"Okay Naruto," Keitaro said as he handed Naruto a shinai, "Your first exercise is to hit me once with this before sunset."

"Just hit you?" Naruto questioned.

Keitaro nodded.

"Before sunset?" Naruto repeated.

"Yup! I'm not even going to use a shinai," Keitaro smiled. It sounded too easy to be true. Something was wrong.

"What's the catch?" Naruto asked.

"You have to hit me before sundown," Keitaro finished. YUP! There was a catch. Still, if Naruto had until sundown then he would have plenty of time to spare. Keitaro had a bad leg so there was no way he could avoid any of Naruto's attack. Without a shinai, Keitaro couldn't block Naruto, let alone retaliate. This exercise was in the bag.

Naruto grasped the shinai, remembering Hashi-sensei's lesson. Breathe, let it come naturally, don't force the action. Like the twitch of a wrist or the bending of an arm. Let it flow naturally…

Naruto swung the wooden sword at Keitaro, who easily stepped to the side and avoided it. Naruto blinked, _Did he know I was going to move?_ Naruto charged at Keitaro without hesitation. Unfortunately Keitaro sidestepped again and tripped Naruto. The blonde fell face down on to the ground with a smack.

"I thought you said you wouldn't defend yourself!" Naruto growled as he stood up. Keitaro chuckled, "I _said_ I wouldn't use a shinai. I said nothing about stepping out of your path."

Naruto pointed the shinai at Keitaro and charged the man again. Like before, Keitaro easily dodged the blow. Naruto began to grow impatient and aimlessly attacked Keitaro with a fury or rapid blows. Keitaro easily ducked and dived out of the way of each attack, "You're doing what you did yesterday. Remember, you're supposed to aim your swing."

The pattern continued like this for a good portion of the day. Naruto kept chasing Keitaro around the clearing, doing everything in his power to hit the man. As the pursuit ran on, Naruto became increasingly tired. He knew this and Keitaro probably saw it by now since Naruto was panting heavily. Naruto needed to rest, but if he rested then so did Keitaro. Naruto had to press the assault. He couldn't give Keitaro a chance to slow down. Once again, Naruto sped towards Keitaro with his shinai in the air. As Naruto swung the shinai down he saw Keitaro's right leg twitch.

"Nice try," Keitaro teased. Naruto eyed Keitaro's leg. Did he imagine the twitch? Or was it there? He decided to test the theory and raised his shinai again, but used a defensive stance rather an offensive stance. Keitaro saw this and smiled confidently, "Defending yourself won't work if you're the one on the offense."

Naruto inched closer to Keitaro, looking for an opening in the man's stance. He stood perfectly still, both arms folded across his chest. Once Naruto was a foot from the man, he swung the blade at Keitaro. Like before, he saw Keitaro's right leg twitch before he jumped out of the way. Naruto smiled at his discovery. His right leg twitched before he moved.

Now he needed a way to use that to his advantage. Naruto repeated his action, raising his shinai and inching towards Keitaro while keeping focus on his right leg. Naruto swung the shinai down to the right of Keitaro's body. Keitaro's right leg twitched to the left before he stepped to the left. Naruto smiled. His victory was assured.

Naruto raised his shinai again, pointing just to the right. He inched towards Keitaro, trying to mask his intent with a blank face. Naruto raised the shinai once Keitaro was in arm's reach. Just as Naruto thought, Keitaro's leg twitched to the left. Naruto swung down as fast as he could just as Keitaro was about to side step.

BOINK!

Naruto dropped the shinai.

Keitaro hit the ground with a soft thud, surprised by the turn of events. Naruto fell over backwards onto the ground, gasping for air. Was he getting out of shape? He never got tired this quickly. Naruto looked from Keitaro to the shinai.

"Well, you hit me," Keitaro stood up, holding his right shoulder. Naruto smiled triumphantly, still trying to catch his breath. Keitaro smirked, "Don't get ahead of yourself. Remember, I'm the one with limp."

Naruto frowned. Keitaro just had to take away Naruto's moment. Keitaro leaned against one of the trees, "Let's take a quick break."

Naruto nodded in agreement and drifted off to sleep, oblivious to the pale eyes that silently watched him from afar.

……………

**Author's Notes: **Who exactly is watching Naruto? Find out on January 11 next year. Don't forget to drop a comment in the reviews section and tell me what you thought! I also welcome critiques and suggestions if anyone has any. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	7. Persuading Zabuza

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates.

**Author's Notes:** Happy New Year to all of you. I'd like to thank you all for those reviews you guys leave me it's great. Seriously, pat yourselves on the back. On a personal accomplishment, this story has taken the lead in my stories' stats. Unfortunately, this chapter wasn't written as well as I'd hoped since it was yet another last minutes throw together. I feel really bad and I want to apologize about it. Moving on, let's continue the tradition of responding to reviews:

**Akina no Onryou:** Thanks, although it was a very quick write granted the 4 day time span. There might be Hinata involvement. As for the cut, I know the Kyubi could have healed it if it wanted too, but Naruto hasn't really over exerted himself to the point where the Kyubi's chakra can come out and the wound wasn't life threatening.

**Symbiotic:** I'm glad you loved it enough to put it in your favorites.

**Peter Kim: **I've already got that part all planned out so you can see it happen in all it's glory.

**Avatarofrage: **I really look forward to reading you analysis of each chapter, I really do. You always manage pick up on more than most and it gives an idea of what to focus on in the next chapter, so you're really contributing to the writing of each. The Hinata thing _may_ become more important…or remain irrelevant. As for Keitaro...well, he has a very complex love life. Naruto's scar is…important. I won't say how but trust me, it is.

**G 52 Goodman:** Since you really need an explanation, I'll break it down: He was lying. Of course Jiraiya is Gamakichi's summoner, but a knife to the throat can be very persuasive otherwise. He pretty much lied to save his own skin, but he isn't spying for Jiraiya. His appearances have all been random coincidence at this point.

**Akira Stridder: **Not much there, huh? Oh well, thanks for the comment.

**Death Incarnate: **Your kind words honor me, and I'm, trying to lengthen out the chapters, but I fear that the plot will stop moving and I'll just be rambling on so I try to keep a minimum.

**shadowiscool28** Thanks for the compliment, words like that are what keep me writing.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 7: Persuading Zabuza**

Hinata watched Naruto sleep peacefully. It was out of sheer chance that she found him here. She spent the whole of last night and part of this morning trying to walk up a tree using her chakra. She did it all for the sake of bettering herself. All in memory of the blonde haired boy, whose devotion to becoming the Hokage let nothing stop him. That was the reason Hinata liked him, his strong determination and his care free. It is not necessary to say how shocking a blow it was when she discovered he ran away to the local boryokudan after failing the graduation exam.

She lost all hope in Naruto, and shortly afterwards, herself. Her father, unaware of Hinata's infatuation with the Kyubi host, noted her sudden anguish but paid little mind to it. After all, she was no longer the heir of the Hyuga clan. Instead, it was her sister Hanabi. When Hinata learned she lost the title as heiress to the clan, she resolved to do anything to regain the title. To that sense, she adopted Naruto's attitude, his determination, his devotion.

Even though he betrayed Konoha, and ran away to the Kuroihi Syndicate, Hinata found it comforting to see him training hard. In fact, Hinata noted there was no real change in who he was. There was no dark cunning, no evil desires, no criminal mind. With the exception of a scar on his right cheek, he was still Naruto. If anything, she felt the scar made him more…rugged.

Hinata smiled happily as the boy rested. How often had she secretly watched him train, only to collapse on the ground from over exertion? It filled Hinata with a sense of nostalgia. Suddenly, Hinata sensed someone enter the clearing. Hinata had to flee before the person realized she was there. She turned to run, but unfortunately her coat snagged on the branch of a bush. She pulled, but couldn't free it from the branch's grasp. She had no choice; she abandoned the coat before disappearing into the forest.

……………

The second part of the training was none too pleasant for Naruto. Keitaro explained the nature of the lesson: hit a moving a target. Naruto's mind was put at ease because he thought it would be like the previous one. What Keitaro neglected to mention was the general size of the target. It was leaves…small leaves.

"You want me to hit leaves?" Naruto said sarcastically as Keitaro gathered a pile into his hands.

"Yes, the goal for this lesson is to teach you to control the power of your strike," Keitaro explained as he set the pile on the ground. Keitaro retrieve a bundle from inside his cloak. He unwrapped it to reveal _Kitsune_ and another katana. It was different from the one Keitaro used yesterday. It was more refined and not as rusted, with a silver tint to the blade that gave it a ghostly appeal. At the tip of the hilt was a string that tied to a golden V.

"I don't normally use my katana for this kind of thing," Keitaro said almost apologetically, "In fact I hardly use this katana at all."

Keitaro took a handful of leaves and cast them into the air. Raising the sword in his right, he thrust the blade effortlessly at each leaf. The leaves split in half as the blade made contact. To Naruto's surprise, Keitaro's motions were not as fluid or as graceful as Hashi's. They seemed almost brutish, focusing more on doing damage and less on avoiding attack.

"Okay Naruto, your turn," Keitaro stepped to the side. Naruto took his katana and stood where Keitaro was moments ago. Copying the man, Naruto took a handful of leaves and threw them into the air. With_ Kitsune_ in hand, Naruto aimed for the leaf closest to the ground. In a blur of motion, Naruto was able to slice the leaf neatly in half. It was unfortunate that he didn't do too well with the other leaves. The remaining leaves danced around his blade, cleanly avoiding each stroke he made.

"Well you hit one," Keitaro commented.

"I don't get it," Naruto said, "How come they kept moving away?"

"You didn't attack fast enough," Keitaro answered, "You see: If you don't swing fast enough, the wind will knock the leaf out of your blade's path. If you swing too fast, then you'll lose control of the blade's path and who knows what you're going to hit."

"Right, so I need to control how hard I strike," Naruto said in realization. He took another handful of leaves from the pile and threw tem into the air. He raised his katana again, all the while reminding himself to control his attack. The day continued on in this manner. Keitaro watched from the side and offered advice to Naruto.

……………

The sun began to disappear, its last golden rays fading from the sky. Stars began to shimmer into view, signaling an end to the day. Naruto sat under an oak tree, _cradling_ Kitsune in his arms. His breath was quick and shallow, fatigued from the day's training.

"Ready to go back?" Keitaro asked. He extended a hand for Naruto which the boy graciously accepted. The blonde nodded his answer, too tired to force the words out of his mouth. Naruto sighed in defeat as they walked out of the clearing. It bothered him to think he was not making any progress. Sure he tried his best to control his attack, but the effort was pointless. No matter what, it seemed he was only able to hit one leaf if he was lucky. Maybe there was more to it than that? Did he miss something? No, he couldn't have.

A loud rumbling echoed from within Naruto's stomach, and he remembered he had not eaten anything since breakfast, "Hey, can we eat something?"

"Sure," Keitaro answered stiffly. He seemed on edge about something. His eyes were distant yet his hands were twitching like crazy. Even his bad leg was spasming out of control.

"Are you alright?" Naruto asked in concern. For a split moment, Keitaro looked…frail.

Keitaro nodded and pulled a cigarette out from inside his cloak. He lit it quickly and took a long drag from it. The effects were immediate: his hands stopped twitching and his body relaxed. He heaved a heavy sigh and let the fumes escape his lungs, filling the air with its rancid smell. Once the cigarette was all but gone, Keitaro tossed the butt aside and calmly said, "I'm fine. So you want ramen, right?"

Naruto's face lit up at the words. He didn't know why, but ramen did that to him. Maybe he was addicted to it? Forgetting about Keitar's little spasm, they entered the edge of town just as the sun disappeared. The village streets were dark like before, with the dim glow of various restaurants and stores barely lighting the roads. The poor of the village began crawling into alleys and using whatever they could grab as shelter to protect them from the night's cold.

After enduring the depressing sight of poverty, they entered a small restaurant on the side of the street. It was cleaner than the others and filled with the aroma of masterfully prepared food. Near the entrance was a sign that read: PROTECTED BY GATOU CORP, which probably explained why the restaurant was empty except for a waitress and a man sitting at the bar. At first glance he appeared to be admiring the wine collection behind the counter but after closer examination he had really fallen asleep upright, possibly from the many bottles of sake and cheap booze around him.

"Oh customers," the waitress said warmly, "Why don't you two have a seat while I get you some menus."

Naruto and Keitaro seated themselves in a corner booth while the waitress started scrambling through the counter for menus. She appeared seconds later with napkins, a salt and pepper shaker, plates, soy sauce and cups filled with water before saying, "I'll just be a minute."

She disappeared into the kitchen leaving the two alone with the exception of the drunk who snored rather loudly. Naruto started pouring over the menu and, needless to say, the first section he went to was the list of ramen. Naruto's mouth pooled with drool as he read the seemingly never ending list: Shrimp, Chicken, Beef, Pork, Miso, Turkey, Soy, Sweet, Egg, Cream of Chicken and Beef, Tuna, Wanton, Roasted Chicken, Roasted Beef, Lemon and Salmon, Fish, Broiled Egg and Pork, Ham…

He was in heaven, not even Ichiraku had such a wide selection of ramen to choose from. Naruto actually began to understand why Gatou placed it under his protection. Naruto skimmed the other sections of the menu and saw all kinds of rare delicacies: Broiled Angus Steak, Shrimp Cocktail, Roasted Lobster, Sautéed Chicken, Italian Spaghetti, Fried Rice, Jerked Pork, Grilled Pork Strips, Roasted Squid and so on. There were items on the menu Naruto couldn't even begin to read because it was in another language. How could so many great foods come from a restaurant in the middle of a town like this?

Naruto froze. That terrible feeling of being watched creeped over him. He didn't need to look out the windows to know, but his reading aloud of the menu attracted a lot of unwanted attention from the impoverished citizens outside. He dropped the menu and immediately cast it aside, earning him some unwanted glares from the villagers who already appeared to be glaring at him. Why did they do that? Were they so hungry they had to watch others eat in jealousy? It was both uncomforting and guilt ridden.

Keitaro caught on to the growing presence and camly said, "Wait here."

He rose from his seat bearing an empty business like disposition on his face. Keitaro went outside and started talking to the patrons gathered outside. Naruto watched as they slowly grew excited before dispersing wildly. Keitaro reentered the restaurant and resumed his position across the table. His curiosity peeked, Naruto immediately asked, "What did you tell them?"

"A simple business arrangement," Keitaro answered quietly. Before Naruto could inquire more, the waitress appeared, "Sorry about that gentlemen, may I take your orders?"

"Yeah! I'll have the pork ramen with the fried shrimp!" Naruto answered excitedly. She nodded and jotted the order down on a notebook before turning to Keitaro, "And you sir?"

"Some sake and the spaghetti," Keitaro answered blandly. The waitress took the menus and disappeared into the kitchen just as an excited group entered the restaurant. One of the new entrants happily approached Keitaro and bowed, "Thank you so much!"

Keitaro nodded politely and smiled. The man turned and left, rushing over to join his fellow patrons.

"What was that about?" Naruto asked Keitaro who was now thumbing a cigarette between his fingers.

"I made them an offer," Keitaro said, "And they loved the idea."

"So what was the offer?" Naruto pressed the issue. The waitress appeared just before Keitaro could answer and set the food and sake on the table before disappearing.

"I told them to get their family and friends together and eat whatever they want," Keitaro answered proudly, "And I would handle all the expenses. In exchange, all I wanted was their loyalty."

Naruto could understand Keitaro's reasoning. It made sense. These people look like they hadn't eaten anything in days, maybe weeks, and it would be cruel to ignore them. And who knew? Perhaps having the loyalty of a few people in this village wouldn't be so bad. At least, Naruto thought so until he witnessed the large groups that entered. With each group, one or two people would respectfully bow to Keitaro and offer their undying loyalty before rejoining their family and friends. The restaurant's sole waitress was forced into a hassle, as she ran up and down the restaurant to get and give everyone their orders.

She exited the kitchen every few minutes holding a large sum of plates in her hands and quickly ran back in once she had another table's orders. This time, she tripped on a patron's extended leg as she left the kitchen and fell to the ground. Instantly, Keitaro reached out and grabbed her hand to stop her fall.

"Thanks," she said, "Er…sorry about spilling the juice on you."

"It's alright," Keitaro offered, reaching for a napkin and wiping the squeezed liquid off of his pants.

"Oh, let me get that," she said quickly. Grabbing the napkin out of his hands and trying her best to clean his pants. When she realized Keitaro was still holding the napkin though, she released it and quickly said, "I'm sorry about that."

"I said it's alright," Keitaro said again, "Need help cleaning up that mess on the floor?"

The waitress squeaked when she saw the splattered food and quickly ran into the kitchen to get some mops. Before she disappeared, Naruto swore her face turned cherry red. He leaned across the table and whispered, "Was she blushing?"

Once again, Keitaro didn't answer. Instead his face turned a light shade of pink. He was avoiding a lot of questions lately. Naruto sat down on his chair and pondered why he did this. Was Keitaro trying to hide something or was it just too embarrassing to talk about? He decided it was best not to ponder the question since it was probably something that Naruto didn't need mentally scarring him. Instead, he started eating his ramen and found solace in knowing there were no people watching him eat enviously.

The mood in the restaurant became rather lively. Every few minutes one of the customers would cheerily propose a toast to Keitaro for his generosity which everyone gladly obliged. One or two people would break away from the rest to thank the man before disappearing. Seeing all the merriment, Naruto couldn't help but smile warmly. Not his usual cheery smile that he always wore back in Konoha. No, it was a genuine smile.

Just then, Zabuza appeared at the door in a casual black tank top and sweats. _Wait, Zabuza?_ Naruto thought, _Why was he here?_ The monster of man looked left and right before pushing his way through the crowd towards the table Naruto and Keitaro sat at. Once the patron noticed him and his dangerously large sword, they stepped aside to let him walk. Despite the air of danger this man carried around him, nobody seemed to really care since they were too buy enjoying their first meal in some time.

Zabuza unhitched his sword from his back and laid it gently against the table. He sat down next to Naruto and stared angrily at Keitaro. Naruto had forgotten just how scary Zabuza was up close, considering the man tried to choke him yesterday. His presence literally sent chills up Naruto's spine.

"So you finally made it?" Keitaro said quietly, donning a calm business-like expression, "What took you?"

"Never mind what took me," Zabuza spat out, "If you wanted to talk privately, then why choose a crowded place like this?"

"Crowded places are usually loud which means no one will hear us if we talk quietly," Keitaro explained. Keitaro took a bite of his spaghetti and sipped his sake casually. He offered the bottle to Zabuza and calmly said, "Sake?"

"I'll pass," Zabuza answered gruffly. Keitaro nodded and replaced the bottle on its spot beside his plate. Naruto quietly ate his noodle and watched the two men. They were having some kind of stare down, like two fierce animals preparing to slaughter the other. The air grew really tense, despite the cheery mood around them.

"Are you going to tell me what this is about?" Zabuza demanded. A simple question, phrased to sound submissive yet maintained its ferocity. Keitaro smiled and calmly ate his spaghetti, "We all know that times change. Every ten or so years, the bad blood must be squeezed out so the body can survive."

"Get to the point," Zabuza answered Keitaro's cryptic statement. Obviously, Zabuza was not one for metaphors and preferred to get straight to point. It made sense considering the large sword he wielded.

"I want you to teach Naruto how to use his chakra to become a better swordsman," Keitaro said straight out. Naruto spat out his ramen and stared at his _bodyguard_ in disbelief. Was he serious? Zabuza was crazy! Keitaro cleared his throat and took a huge gulp of sake, "In exchange, we can permanently put an end to your Gatou problem."

"You're going to kill him?" Zabuza asked hopefully. Keitaro shook his head, "No, but not far off."

"No," Zabuza answered. Naruto never thought he'd be comforted to hear those words. Although he would never openly admit it, Zabuza scared the life out of him. Besides, anything that involved him, Zabuza and swords probably would end messily.

"I'm sorry to hear you say that," Keitaro sighed, "But it would be a shame if the Kiri-nin found your little hiding place."

Zabuza glared at Keitaro upon hearing these words. The tension was growing between the two, and flickers of killing intent began to plague Naruto's heightened senses. It was merely a question of who wanted to kill who. It wasn't a very good question, but a question none-the-less. Zabuza slowly reached for his sword and Naruto realized what he intended to do. He reached for _Kitsune_ but the sound of a metal clang told him it was too late. There were several gasps from the other customers.

He slowly turned his head to see Keitaro holding his katana dangerously close at Zabuza. _Déjà vu,_ Naruto thought. The cheery mood was iced, fear following in its wake. Everyone stopped to watch the events unfold between Keitaro and Zabuza. Even the drunk awoke to watch with somewhat confused interest. Keitaro smirked at Zabuza and cheerily stated, "Iaijutsu…" (Author's Note: Iaijutsu literally means the Art of Mental Presence and Immediate Response. In terms of context, it is the art of drawing the sword in self defense.)

"Iaijutsu," Naruto said optimistically. The speed of it was…on another level. Excited by Keitaro's display, Naruto off-handedly asked, "Are you going to teach me that too?"

Keitaro apparently ignored him and Naruto could understand why. After all it was bad timing considering the present situation. Slowly, Keitaro raised his katana to Zabuza's chin, "I'm going to ask you to let the sword go."

Zabuza clenched his fist around the handle of his sword, but decided to let go once Keitaro started jabbing the katana into his throat, "Fine, I'll train the brat. But you better keep your end of the bargain."

"Of course, meet us tomorrow at our inn around 10 in the morning," Keitaro said, resheathing his katana beneath his cloak. The tense air between the two slowly dissipated, an uneasy calm taking its place. In fact, the air almost became lighter. Zabuza rose from his seat and left the room, all the while he was watched by the patrons. Once he was gone, everyone returned to their previous activities.

"Looks like you have another teacher," Keitaro said matter-of-factly. Naruto didn't know what to think of it. On one hand, he was going to be given another perspective on the art of kenjutsu. On the other, he was going to be taught by the world's largest megalomaniac. However, one question remained unanswered. He told Zabuza: _we can permanently put an end to your Gatou problem_, but how did he intend to do that? More importantly, why was Keitaro so keen to have Zabuza train him? What exactly was Keitaro planning? There was something more to this picture Naruto was missing, but what?

……………

**Author's Notes: **What is Keitaro planning and will Naruto survive the training with Zabuza? Find out on January 25th. Don't forget to drop a comment in the reviews section and tell me what you thought! I welcome critiques and suggestions if anyone has any. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	8. Gatou's Move

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates.

**Author's Notes:** You guys really like this story don't you? Thanks a bunch for all the reviews you wonderful people. So I decided to try and lengthen the chapter like **Death Incarnate **suggested. This chapter is officially 3 pages longer than a lot of the other chapters, excluding the author's notes and the disclaimers. Like with the last seven chapters, I'd like to spend some time answering the reviews:

**Avatarofrage:** Once again, your analytical skills astound me. Commends are in order here for you my good man…or woman…or neither? Keitaro never knew Hinata was in the area…but the reason for his behavior will be explored a little in this chapter. Canonity dictates Gatou will die and, unlike in my last story, character death will remain as canon as possible. Regarding iaijutsu, Iaido is a common skill among Yakuza for the reason you listed. To that end, most Yakuza are iaidoka. Keitaro is a little more like Ukyo than Johnny to be honest, but that's my opinion. It really depends how you spin it. Keep at it man! Awesome job!

**Peter Kim: **A double post? You're really liking this story aren't you? Good job on your predictions by the way. To answer your first one: The Yakuza are a very Darwinistic group. Whenever a leader dies, members of the lower ranks often fight one another to claim the vacant spot. Therefore, seizing Gatou Corp may have its own story arc. As for the Hokage ordering Naruto's death…well, whose to say he ordered it? Maybe it was Danzou?

**Eternal Thief: **Thank you for your kind words, kudos to you my friend.

**Akira Stridder: **I'm happy to see you think it's kool.

**Creepingshadow: **I posted the next chapter to Yin & Yang. Good luck with your medicine, I hope it works. Here's hoping for you!

And so, without further distraction, I give you the next chapter to Oyabun. And if you liked it, let me know in the review section!

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 8: Gatou's Move**

The next day, Keitaro and Naruto woke up around 8 in the morning. After a quick breakfast of pickled rice balls and a quick bath, they dressed themselves. As Naruto tucked his head into his shirt, he noted Keitaro wasn't donning his cloak and rice hat like yesterday. On the contrary, he put on his black business suit with the dress shirt's collar propped open. In fact, Keitaro seemed to place emphasis on keeping the collar open so he could display the dragon tattoo on his neck. But didn't he wear the cloak and rice hat because he didn't want to advertise his status as a yakuza? Naruto felt inclined to ask, but knew Keitaro wouldn't answer. So Naruto busied himself with tying _Kitsune_ around his waist instead.

Keitaro adjusted his collar multiple times and before grabbing his katana. Naruto and Keitaro strolled out of the inn to find Zabuza and Haku waiting for them. Naruto flinched once he saw the ninja swordsman. Zabuza appeared to be in a stale, slightly annoyed mood while Haku simply chose to hide his face behind a mask.

Zabuza unwrapped the bandages around his face to reveal the shark-like teeth beneath, making his already menacing stature all the more horrifying. As far as Naruto could tell, Zabuza was still mad about yesterday. And who wouldn't be? A master shinobi swordsman of Kirigakure beaten by a _lowlife_ gangster? Such a disgrace would never be tolerated in the legitimate shinobi world. But common knowledge dictated Zabuza was no longer a legitimate ninja for Kirigakure. He was a criminal, a nukenin, and disobeying the Kuroihi, after they were kind enough to hide him, would not play to his advantage. Besides, as Zabuza knew and Naruto had yet to realize, there was more to this particular gangster than just a face with a sword.

"Where are you going all dressed up?" Zabuza growled, eyeing Keitaro's katana with a mix of curiosity and frustration, "Is that what I think it is?"

"Maybe," Keitaro shrugged the question off, "Train Naruto out in the woods. Make sure Gatou's men don't see you together. We can't afford to give him any impressions right now. He may not look like mu-"

"Are these precautions really necessary?" Zabuza interrupted, "So what if Gatou finds out? What can he do, send some of his bandits after us?"

"Gatou isn't the kind of person to make blind assumptions," Keitaro retorted, "He takes every precaution necessary before he makes his move. If we can maintain a low profile, then we won't arouse any suspicion."

Zabuza's flashed his teeth in displeasure, angered by the truth behind Keitaro's words. Annoyed at Keitaro's obvious superiority, Zabuza decided to divert the conversation, "You still haven't answered my question: Where are you going?"

"I'm going for a walk," Keitaro finally answered. Naruto's jaw dropped in horror. Keitaro was leaving him with a mad man and a cross-dresser Was he insane? Then again, Keitaro did offer to feed half the village. Naruto still remembered the length of the bill and found it hard to believe that so many zeroes were possible. Fearing for his health, Naruto hastily asked, "Would it be alright if I came along?"

"NO! Er…no," Keitaro almost shouted. He sighed and said, "I'm going to take a look at some things going on around town. Besides, you need to train with Zabuza here."

"But-" Naruto could feel Zabuza's cold stare sizing him up.

"No buts!" Keitaro raised his voice warningly, "Just go with Zabuza. You'll be safer with him than you will be with me."

Naruto wanted to mention the irony to Keitaro, but was too scared of Zabuza to say anything. Instead, he nodded in dejection. Satisfied, Keitaro spun around and walked away into the crowd. Naruto noted the villagers were acting differently towards Keitaro. They treated Keitaro the same way they treated Hashi-sensei back at the Konoha when he escorted Naruto home. They stepped out of his path, trying their best to avoid his gaze. They treated him like he had a disease, all of them too scared to come near him.

Once Keitaro disappeared, Zabuza let out a cold chuckle, "Alright brat, the next few hours will be nothing but misery for you."

……………

They ventured deep into the woods outside the village until the foliage grew thick and the sun overhead was blocked out. It was secluded and all too quiet. The buzz of wildlife died down around them. The birds stopped chirping, the leaves stopped rustling, and the wind decided to stop blowing. Even the sun light found it difficult to break past the thick blanket of the tree branches overhead. Naruto was alone in this dark part of the woods with two rogue shinobi. If either Haku or Zabuza decided to kill him, no one would ever know.

"Okay boy," Zabuza growled, "This is far enough."

Zabuza reached inside his kunai pouch. Cautiously, Naruto's hand slowly creeped towards his katana. If Zabuza was getting a weapon, he would probably be able to defend himself by blocking any attacks. There was no chance Naruto would survive if he decided to take the offensive though. His best option was to make a break for the village if things turned for the worst.

"Take this boy," Zabuza threw a card at him. Naruto released _Kitsune_ and caught it in his hands. It was blank, no writing, and no images. Nothing of importance was printed on it. Confused, Naruto turned to Zabuza and asked, "What is this?"

"It's a special card that will tell us your chakra type. All you have to do is focus your chakra into the card," Zabuza instructed. Naruto winced at the directions. His time at the academy did little to improve his ability to mold chakra. He knew what he was supposed to do, but Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei were often critical about the amount of chakra he wasted. They often pointed out he lacked focus and chakra control. Naruto hesitated too long, and an annoyed Zabuza remarked, "TODAY!"

Shocked, Naruto immediately started to focus his chakra into the small card. The blue energy enveloped the small card, twisting into many shapes and forms. It almost resembled a deformed dance. Naruto focused more of his chakra into the card, concentrating on nothing but his chakra and the card in his hand. His head started to ache terribly. How much longer did he have to do this? Was he really this bad at molding his chakra? Maybe he was getting rusty from a lack of proper training. But wasn't he learning bushido for a reason?

Just then, the card split into two separate pieces. Naruto groaned at his luck. Why did this kind of thing only happen to him?

"Wind Chakra," Zabuza commented. Naruto gave Zabuza a confused look. Zabuza ignored Naruto and turned to Haku, "This should be interesting."

"Quite, although he's not at all good with chakra control," Haku added. The "_cross-dresser"_ seated himself on a tree branch high above the two to gain a larger view of the terrain.

"Give me your katana boy," Zabuza barked at Naruto. The blonde complied quickly with Zabuza's command, pulling the sword out of its scabbard and handed it to him. Zabuza flipped the katana over in his hands, inspecting it closely. After a few minutes, Zabuza handed the katana back and said, "There's more to this katana than meets the eye, isn't there? It's able to absorb chakra."

"It can?" Naruto asked as Zabuza handed the weapon back. The sword felt heavier in his hand for some reason. Still, he was curious about its ability to absorb chakra. Naruto started focusing all of his chakra into the katana, hoping to see something happen. Like the card, _Kitsune_ was enveloped in the blue glow of his own chakra. Naruto smiled a little, joyed to see the katana's ability at work. Between the red tint of the blade and the blue glow of the chakra, Kitsune took on the color of royal purple. Then it started to shake violently in his hand. Had it taken a life of its own? Naruto wrapped both hands around the hilt, trying his best to stop it.

Unfortunately, it seemed _Kitsune _had other plans. _**NO!**_ a deep voice growled loudly. He had heard the voice before. But where did it come from? More importantly, who said it?

A bright flash blinded him, and a sudden gust of wind flung him backwards. There was a sudden pain in his back and a piercing sensation on his left arm. The world slowly faded back into view and Naruto found himself lying on the ground. He sat up to see Zabuza standing perfectly still, albeit with a hint of amusement. Up in the tree came a mild chuckle from Haku.

"It looks like it rejected your chakra," Zabuza commented. Naruto rubbed his back to relieve the burning sensation, "What? I don't get this complicated stuff! Could you make it easier?"

Zabuza groaned, "Tell me, did you drop out of the academy or did they kick you out for being so stupid?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto retorted angrily. Zabuza scoffed, "Your katana was made to recognize a specific chakra signature. When it infused with your chakra, it reacted violently and activated a defense mechanism. In this case, it shot your chakra back at you. A lot of it, I might add."

Haku apparently decided now was the perfect time to add, "With so much chakra, he may not be hopeless after all."

"So if the katana rejects my chakra, is there a way to make it accept the chakra?" Naruto inquired. Zabuza smirked, "There is. But it will be painful."

Another lump was forming itself in Naruto's throat. What was Zabuza's deal with pain and misery? Was he a sadist? Then again, he hung around a cross-dresser so maybe he was into…Naruto immediately erased any thought he had from his mind. He needed to focus on getting _Kitsune_ to accept his chakra. Otherwise, he would never master using his katana. Besides, that kind of thing was sick and disgusting!

"If you want your katana to accept your chakra, you'll need to pump the katana full of your own," Zabuza explained. Naruto scratched the back of his head, "Pump it full of my chakra?"

Zabuza nodded, "All weapons are able to hold a finite amount of chakra. It varies from weapon to weapon. When they're made to recognize one set chakra signature, it means someone infused their own chakra into the weapon's material. But, if you put enough of your own chakra into the weapon, then you can force the other's chakra out and permanently break the defense mechanism."

It made sense in that respect. There was, however, one snag to Zabuza's solution. One which Naruto found troubling, "What about the defense mechanism? Won't it just keep shooting my own chakra back at me?"

"Didn't I say it would be painful?" Zabuza retorted all too happily. So that was the only way? If he was to go further in kenjutsu, he would have to make Kitsune recognize him as his master. If that's what it took…then he was going to do it! Without hesitation, Naruto started focusing his chakra into the katana. Like before, the blue energy enveloped the katana and it started shaking violently.

Naruto tightened his grip on Kitsune, trying to pacify its resistance to his chakra. The katana shook so violently, that it started to numb his hands. In fact, it felt like the katana was trying to release itself from Naruto's grasp. Like before, a beam of chakra shot out of the katana and nailed Naruto square in the chest. The unfortunate academy failure flew back several feet and landed with a thump as he hit a rock with his butt.

Naruto groaned in pain, clutching both his chest and his butt. He didn't know what hurt more: his wounds or his pride. He got back on his feet and picked up his katana again. A chuckle escaped Zabuza's mouth. An amused chuckle, filled with joy born from other's misery. It resurfaced old, suppressed memories in Naruto's mind. Oh how he hated that kind of laugh. But his experiences in Konoha had taught him one thing: Retaliation went nowhere. If he wanted to get even, then he had to prove to those who mocked him how wrong they were.

And this was how he did it! No matter how difficult, how painful and how exhausting his training was, he kept at it.

Naruto started focusing his chakra back into the katana. As he did, the dark voice resurfaced and coldly commanded: _**NEVER! **_The katana started shaking again and shot Naruto's chakra back at him like before. The pattern continued like this for some time, Naruto would channel his chakra into the katana and the katana would shoot the chakra back. But he didn't let that stop him.

There was no break in the pattern until Keitaro arrived a little past noon holding a paper bag. He had a cigarette in his mouth that he finished and cast aside, "How's the training going?"

"Bad," Naruto answered. Zabuza nodded in silence while Haku kept look out. Keitaro groaned, "Has he made any progress?"

"No," Zabuza replied cynically. He eyed the bag in Keitaro's hand curiously, "What is that?"

"Lunch," Keitaro sat down and retrieved some salted rice balls from inside, "Take a break Naruto! Lunch time!"

"Sure," Naruto panted. He gently replaced Kitsune in its scabbard and joined Keitaro who was already eating a rice ball. They ate the food quietly, Zabuza and Haku repeatedly refused Keitaro's offers to join them. Instead, the two of them preferred to chat quietly off to the side.

A gentle breeze blew, and it helped cool Naruto down. Although Naruto didn't want to admit it, he was sweating like a pig. Keitaro then revealed a water bottle and a bottle of sake from inside the bag. Naruto gladly accepted the water; the salted rice balls were making his throat dry. Keitaro offered some sake to Zabuza, who kindly accepted, and Haku, who politely refused.

Naruto swallowed half of the water bottle in one-go before turning his attention to the remaining rice balls.

"No come carino quei Sicilia," Keitaro said from out of nowhere. Naruto raised an eyebrow at Keitaro's words. It was another language, undoubtedly, but he had trouble placing it. The accent was so foreign that it was almost other worldly. His curiosity peaked, Naruto asked, "What language is that."

Keitaro shook his head, "Nothing."

There he went again, avoiding questions. Naruto was getting really frustrated with Keitaro's passive demeanor. Obviously, Keitaro wasn't the kind of person who was keen on making friends or letting people get close to him. The question is, why? What exactly made him that way? What seemed to make him so distant? All Naruto could do was ponder his mysterious behavior.

"Discorrere soffice amare e durare me torrido contro tua cuore," Keitaro started to sing gently. It was beautiful, and in a way poetic. Although the words seemed almost made up, the rhythm was catchy. Naruto found himself lost in the song and his thoughts drifted away, following the melody slowly

Once the last of the rice balls were gone, Naruto went back to trying to force Kitsune to accept his chakra. The pattern went on the same as before, Naruto would force his chakra into the katana and it would shoot all the chakra back in a huge blow that sent Naruto flying into a tree. It was growing old and redundant fast.

"I'll meet with you three later," Keitaro said after Naruto's fifth attempt. He crumpled the paper bag into a ball and stuffed it into his empty sake bottle.

"Where are you going?" Zabuza inquired with a hint of detest.

"Business," Keitaro answered, "You two just focus on training Naruto. The Gatou affair is being worked out as we speak. When you're done, drop Naruto off at our inn. I'll explain some details there."

He disappeared into the darkness of the woods, quietly singing his song. Zabuza shook his head disapprovingly, "I don't like him."

……………

Sakura hummed to herself as she ate her lunch of dumplings and soy bean soup. Kakashi-sensei had awarded her with the day off for her perfect chakra control. At least, he did until he asked her to guard the bridge builder and his crew while they finished construction of the bridge. Everything went fine for most of the morning but some yakuza, probably working for the horrible man Gatou, appeared and started loitering around. Most of the workers dropped what they were doing immediately and went home, saying certain circumstances prevented them from working in a safe environment. She knew they meant that yakuza.

She had seen it happen occasionally in Konoha. Whenever a citizen did something that displeased a local gang, some of their low ranked members, specifically the _bosuzoku_, would show up and loiter around. They didn't make any threats or do anything illegal. It was really a one day warning from the local boryokudan boss. The message was simple: Stop or _Bad_ things will happen. Anyone fool enough to return the next day either disappeared or were found dead.

But wasn't this the reason they hired Konoha shinobi? Some of the workers felt more secure with a _capable _kunoichi around to help them. Others, however, had no faith in her and left one by one. But the man had left some time ago and construction resumed its normal pace.

She finished her lunch and put everything back in her lunch box. Sakura seated herself on the rail of the bridge and let the cool sea breeze blew through her hair. She loved the salty sea air, and the refreshing mist.

"Hello Sakura," Hinata appeared at her side, holding a lunch box neatly wrapped in a pink cloth.

"Hi," she answered back at her teammate, "Did you find your hoody?"

Hinata shook her head, "No."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Sakura said apologetically, "It was nice too."

Although she didn't say anything, Hinata's personality performed a full 180 since the graduation ceremony. She used to be withdrawn and secluded, speaking very little and often pushing her fingers together. To that end, she concluded Hinata was the shy, quiet type. But now that they were on the same team, she learned how open Hinata really was. In fact, Sakura almost thought she was acting a lot like Naruto. Not only did she have the same upbeat attitude, she had the same desire to prove her strength to others. It just goes to show, appearances aren't everything.

Fortunately, she didn't have his same annoying habit of pulling pranks and practical jokes. Still, they were so similar, it's like they were long lost relatives. Who knew? Maybe there was more to it than that. She chuckled at the idea. Who would like Naruto? He was selfish, bratty, rude, and a failure. Why? Because he doesn't have any parents to set him straight, no one to tell him he's misbehaving. He's all alone.

Pushing these thoughts aside, she turned to Hinata and asked, "So how did the tree climbing go?"

"Good," Hinata answered, "I don't think Sasuke was too thrilled about falling behind the two of us."

Sakura frowned at these words. She never liked the idea of an upset Sasuke. It was bad enough after his fight with Naruto two days ago, when he started snapping at every little thing. Maybe she should try harder to get close to him? She sighed in defeat, quickly disposing of her lunch. A dark cloud appeared over the horizon, "Looks like a storm's coming."

"Yeah," Hinata smile slowly inverted itself.

……………

Naruto picked himself off the ground after being blasted into a tree for the seventh time. His katana seemed dead set on making sure only its maker's chakra could channel into the weapon. It made it impossible to use and it was taking its toll on his young body. Not only was he dead tired, his hands were numb from all the chakra channeling. He just needed to rest. No point in over exerting himself, there was no rush.

He looked up at the sky and realized it was already dark. The stars lit up the night sky. Reminding himself of his training, he rose off the ground.

"That's enough for today boy," Zabuza said just as Naruto stood back up, "It's getting late and you're already exhausted most of your chakra. Any more and you'll die."

A mix of joy and despair washed over Naruto. On one hand, he was no longer committed to hanging around Zabuza. On the other hand, he didn't want to stop his training. Still, the prospect of meeting death was none too appealing. Besides, sleeping on a nice futon was much more appealing than sleeping on the grass. Naruto nodded and picked up _Kitsune_. After replacing the katana in its scabbard, he followed the Kiri-nin out of the woods.

They arrived at the inn to find Keitaro already waiting for them. He casually leaned against the front door, scanning up and down the street until his eyes rested on Naruto, Zabuza and Haku. He smirked and walked towards them calmly.

"How did the training go?" he inquired calmly. He lit a cigarette and blew smoke into the air.

"He made no progress whatsoever," Zabuza replied. Naruto turned on Zabuza, "HEY! It's not my fault!"

Zabuza rolled his eyes scornfully, "Yeah, sure."

Keitaro nodded understandingly, "I see. I've worked out the details for my end of the deal. You two just head back to wherever Gatou is keeping you. Act natural; don't give him any reason to be suspiscious."

Zabuza raised an eyebrow, "What exactly do you have planned?"

"I'll save you the finer details and say this: Gatou will no longer be of concern by the end of tomorrow," was Keitaro's explanation. He looked from Zabuza to Haku before adding, "Go home and get some rest. You look tired."

Zabuza glared suspiciously at Keitaro before he and Haku disappeared into clouds of smoke. Keitaro turned to Naruto and said the same thing, "You don't look so well. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired," Naruto answered. Truth be told, he was anxious to get to bed. He never felt so tired in his life. His body, specifically his hands, ached terribly. He just wanted to go inside and lie down, in fact he had already stepped past Keitaro and was walking over to the inn.

FWOOSH!

A large shockwave threw Naruto onto the ground, Keitaro landing next to him. He scrambled onto his feet, only to fall back again at the sight before him. The inn was ablaze, screams and shouts echoing from inside. His mouth hung open in awe, unable to move himself from the ground. He shook horribly, fearfully at the sight before him. If he had gone in just moments earlier…he would have died.

Keitaro blindly rushed into the building, only to emerge moments later carrying the injured clerk in his arms. He set her down on the ground before rushing over to Naruto, "Are you alright?"

Naruto managed to find the ability to nod. Keitaro lifted him off the ground and quickly said, "I want you to find a place to hide. Stay low and out of sight."

Following his orders, Naruto sought shelter in the shadows of a nearby alley way. He ducked behind a trash can and peered over the side just in time to witness three men in black suits appear. Naruto recognized two of them as Gatou's goons, and the third as the drunk from the restaurant. They slowly circled Keitaro, taunting and asking him several questions. With each statement, Keitaro's face would contort between anger and impassiveness. After the three goons had their fill of gloating and cursing, they attacked Keitaro.

The first goon dove straight at the Kuroihi gangster, who easily dispatched the first with a sharp blow to the stomach with his fist. The second goon retrieved a nunchaku from within his coat and began a swift display of spinning and twirling the weapon around his head. The goon loudly gloated, "FEAR ME! FOR I A-"

Keitaro unsheathed his katana and used the scabbard to whack the second goon on the head. The second goon fell to the ground, unconscious.

The alcoholic groaned at the failure of his companions and raised his hands into the air. He slowly backed away, putting distance between himself and Keitaro. He then revealed wrist blade's from within his suit and charged Keitaro. The distance between Keitaro and the drunk quickly closed. In a flash of movement, Keitaro angled his katana up. The drunk, going too fast to stop, impaled himself. He slumped to the ground, blood pooling itself around his body.

Keitaro pulled his blade out of the dead man and wiped it on a white cloth before sheathing it. He wore an expressionless look on his face. It wasn't the business face from last night that was impossible to read. This expression, although intended to mean nothing, hinted malice. Keitaro walked over to the two unconscious goons and reached inside his coat to reveal a wakizashi. (Author's Note: A wakizashi is a miniature katana, often used more for ceremonial purposes that combat.)

Naruto's mouth dropped at what happened next. Keitaro leaned down so he reach each goon and slit their necks. Keitaro let the blood drain with a hint of satisfaction before he wiped the stained blade on the same cloth he wiped his katana on. Naruto realized his mouth was hanging open just as Keitaro put the sword away. He moved with such speed, such skill, that it rivaled a shinobi. His abilities were on another level.

What made it worse? Keitaro murdered three men as if it was the most natural thing in the world. There was no show of remorse, no sign of guilt. Only satisfaction as he watched each person die. Keitaro walked his way over to Naruto's hiding place, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Naruto heard himself say. No he wasn't okay. What did he just witness? Keitaro was…is…Naruto had no idea how to respond. If the Yakuza were a Ninkyo Dantai, then how could they kill unremorsefully?

Keitaro motioned for Naruto to follow him out of the alley. After the violent display before him, the last thing Naruto wanted to do was piss Keitaro off. The two stepped out onto the street, the burning inn casting an eerie glow. Keitaro walked at a fast pace, considering his limp, with Naruto behind and in tow.

"We need to move. More of Gatou's goons will be here soon," Keitaro instructed, "Do you still have Kitsune?"

Naruto glanced down at the red katana, still tied to his waist. He glanced back at Keitaro and nodded. Keitaro turned his attention away from him, "Good. You'll need it tomorrow."

"Hold on! What was that back there? What's going on?" Naruto demanded angrily.

"I'll explain later," Keitaro reasoned, "Right now, we need to concentrate and getting somewhere safe."

"NO!" Naruto snapped. He was tired of Keitaro's evasiveness. Forgetting how pissed Keitaro had been moments ago, he angrily said, "You tell me right here and right now!"

"YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW? GATOU AND HIS GANG JUT DECLARED WAR! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED TO HEAR?" Keitaro snapped back. The fire in his eyes made Naruto close his mouth. Maybe yelling at Keitaro wasn't such a smart idea, "I'm sorry."

Naruto remained silent, too scared and ashamed to say anything to Keitaro. Keitaro noted the silence and added, "Gatou must have had a guy plant exploding tags inside the building while our guard was down. Those three goons were looking for you and me so odds are we were the target."

Naruto looked up at Keitaro, unable to grasp what he was saying. Did Keitaro mean Gatou, the man who was supposed to protect them in this country, was the one trying to kill them? Naruto groaned, defeated. First Konoha, then Hashi-sensei's compound, and now here. Was Naruto going to be safe anywhere? Tears started to well in his eyes.

Keitaro sighed, "The way we live our lives kid...they way we do business, is not the kind where you emotions can be worn on your sleeve."

Naruto turned to look at him, trying to wipe his face. Keitaro was obviously trying to comfort him, albeit he wasn't doing a goof job of it. Keitaro patted Naruto's head, "Don't worry. Boss Hashi asked me to protect you, you're in good hands."

……………

**Author's Notes:** What exactly is Keitaro's plan to get rid of Gatou? How will Naruto survive in a village where two groups of people want him dead? Find this out, and more in the next chapter of Oyabun, coming out on February 8th. If you liked the story, let me know. Don't forget to leave a comment in the review section. Until next time, this is leonadro1123581321 signing out!


	9. Naruto Makes His Bones

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates.

**Author's Notes:** To everyone who appreciates this story and enjoys reading it. Thank you. You guys helped make this story what it is, and I must say I am surprised at the ever increasing number of hits it gets. Seriously, thanks you guys for loving this story. Special thanks to those of you who left reviews. This chapter is the longest I have yet, but the quality might not be up to par since this is another famous last minute throw together.

Sorry.

And now, as is my custom, I want to respond to reviews:

**Akira Stridder: **You won't have to wait very long. You might not notice it, but Naruto's skill with the katana is slowly getting better.

**YellowDemonFlash: **I'm planning on doing a skip sometime after the Land of Waves arc is settled. After all, there are so many loose ends that need tying up and the Land of Waves arc is what makes Naruto the official gangster. Don't worry though; you won't have to wait very long.

**Peter Kim: **Well, Hashi wouldn't need to give orders to sieze control of Gatou Corporation since Gatou is Hashi's underling. Needless to say, that means what belongs to Gatou also belongs to Hashi. As for whoever wants to kill Naruto, that's a secret for now but you're getting close. Keep speculating my good friend; it's served you well in the past. AS for Kakashi, he already knows Naruto is the son of his teacher. In fact, that's why he hesitated to kill him several chapter's back.

**Avatarofrage: **Don't doubt your Otaku sense. I don't really have much planned for Kitsune at this point other than being a catalyst to drive Naruto into a dangerous lifestyle. I'm not so sure Gatou's death will be as canonical as I wanted it to be, but then again, this is a last minute throw together. Haku and Zabuza might _not_ die. Who knows?

**Madkilt: **Thanks, comments like yours keep me writing this story.

**shadowiscool28: **Thanks, and I will.

**Ryan-Draven57:** Thank you, I hope to hear more from you.

**DeltaKyuubi:** Well you didn't have to wait long, coz here's the next chapter.

And that's all for tonight. If you like the story, let me know in the review's section. And so, without further discourse, we have the next chapter of Oyabun.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 9: Naruto Makes His Bones**

Keitaro led the way through the dark streets of the village. There was a murmur of bewilderment around them. Although it was the middle of the night, half of the village was wide awake. The explosion from the inn rocked the entire town, and the glow of the fire was visible even though they were on the other side of the village. The people around them glanced at Keitaro and Naruto as they walked past in a hurried pace. There was an obvious conclusion being drawn in their mind: Keitaro had bombed some poor establishment.

The fact that Keitaro was clad in his black suit did not help the situation. All it did was spark unnecessarily horrified whispers.

They stopped at the edge of town, just outside an old decrepit house that resembled a shack more than an actual house. The wood peeled and was moldy, the door hanging off its hinges. Keitaro pulled it open and pushed Naruto inside, whispering, "Quickly."

The interior was far cleanlier than the outside would lead one to believe. It consisted of one room with a kitchen and a table with chairs. There wasn't much to say of the shack except an old rug that sat on the dusty wooden floor and the torn curtains that hung from the broken windows. This shack had clearly been in disuse for many years.

"Why are we here?" Naruto inquired of the commode, "What is this place?"

"It's an old safe house," Keitaro explained as he started closing curtains and turning on lights, "We haven't used these things since the Last Great Shinobi War, though. We should consider ourselves lucky this one hasn't collapsed yet."

"This one?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, we have three in this village, four in the surrounding forest, and two in the next village over," Keitaro answered shryly. He rolled the rug to the side, revealing a hidden door beneath it. The door led to a bunker-like basement shrouded in darkness. Naruto placed his hand against the wall and started feeling around for a light switch. After a minute of searching, he found it and flipped it to the 'on' position. A single light bulb buzzed to life, revealing a long forgotten corridor covered in mold and grime. Buckets filled with murky, brown water were placed in the corner of the hall along with mops and towels. Obviously, someone tried to clean the basement earlier but had performed a lousy job at best.

"We're going to lie low here for a while," Keitaro said. He motioned to the first door on the left, "That's your room. I moved most of your things there this afternoon."

Naruto opened the door to _his_ room. To his surprise, it was far nicer than the room at the inn. There was a bed at the corner of the room and a dresser complete with a mirror. A small lamp rested on said dresser, illuminating the room poorly. In fact, the room appeared to be in a hazy fog. Naruto's bag rested at the foot of his bed, along with his cloak and rice hat.

"I'll be in this room if you need me," Keitaro said from the door way. He pointed at the second door on the right, "Now go get some sleep. We'll talk in the morning."

Keitaro closed the door behind Naruto, leaving him alone in the relatively dark room.

Naruto quickly changed into his blue pajamas and goofy bed hat. He sprawled himself on the bed and closed his eyes. He found it difficult to sleep despite the day's training. He stared up at the decaying wood of the ceiling, wondering to himself how things were supposed to work out. Konoha had marked him as an S-Rank criminal and Gatou's goons were actively hunting him and Keitaro. The way things stood; there was little chance for a one day resolution.

How long had he stared at the ceiling? Ten minutes? Twenty? An Hour? Maybe even Three hours? Naruto's body was too tired to move, but the day's shocking, if not traumatizing, events kept him from sleeping. In this dark room, closing an eye could mean death. Still, if he didn't sleep then he would probably develop insomnia.

Unable to find the peace of mind he sought for, Naruto turned to the mirror that hung over the dresser. He stared at his reflection for a minute, taking in his appearance. He was covered in dirt because of Zabuza's training, with grass stains and scratches decorating his orange garb. His hair was a mess, but wasn't it always? Maybe it was messier? Was that even possible? He then looked into the blue eyes of his reflection. A mix of fear, uncertainty, and sorrow dwelled there. But there was another quality that surprised Naruto. There was a hint of power and ferocity in these eyes. Were they even his? They were colder, darker than his eyes. They lacked…emotion…life even.

He turned away from his reflection, unable to face his own appearance, and fell back on his bed. As he lay there, he silently hoped for the warm embrace of sleep.

………………

Several sleepless hours flew by, which Naruto spent staring blankly at the ceiling. His mind wandered endlessly to and fro in his sea of worry. What would happen? Would he die? How would it happen? Who would do it? Konoha or Gatou?

There was a light knock at his door.

"Wake up, Naruto," Keitaro said gently. As there was nothing better to do, Naruto rose from the bed and went upstairs. Keitaro laid out two plates of fried eggs, fried fish and rice, two glasses of water, and some chopsticks. Naruto sat down at the table quietly and stared at his food. Keitaro sat down opposite him and said, "Itadakimasu."

Keitaro started eating his food quickly. Naruto noticed he was clad in his black suit again, the collar adjusted to display the dragon tattoo on his neck. Naruto thought it kind of ironic to have a dragon tattoo. Were they not the Kuroihi Syndicate? The _Black Sun_? Wouldn't it make more sense to have a tattoo of a black sun? He turned his attention to his plate of food. For the most peculiar reason, he was not hungry even though the last time he ate was yesterday afternoon. Heck, he missed dinner because of last night.

Naruto pushed the plate away from himself and stood up.

"Something wrong?" Keitaro asked, sensing Naruto's distraught mood.

"I'm not hungry," Naruto answered. Keitaro raised an eyebrow, "Well at least eat the rice. I need you at your best today if we're going to resolve the Gatou problem."

"We?" Naruto asked, catching that word. Keitaro smirked at his confounded expression, "We."

Keitaro started his long explanation. Naruto was hesitated at first, the plan seemed rather blunt. But as Keitaro went on, Naruto slowly began to realize the true nature of the _plan_. It was so cunning, so flawless, so perfect, that it was worthy of legend. It was…beautiful, truly a masterpiece: A true testament to the nature of a Yakuza. And after listening to it how could he refuse? Still, Naruto was shaken to learn his crucial role in Keitaro's plan. His job was so important that there was no margin for error. It all came down to how he played his cards. Truthfully, Naruto felt a mix of excitement and worry.

"And that's how it'll play out," Keitaro finished, "The final question, though, is: Are you in?"

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, "Of course I'm in. You think I'm going to let Gatou get away after he tried to kill us?"

A smile drew itself on Keitaro's face.

……………

Naruto waited outside the Gatou Corp compound, humming to himself patiently. Tied to his waist was his katana. Slung over his shoulder was a package neatly wrapped in white cloth. Naruto was a little astounded to find himself going along with Keitaro's plan. He trembled a little, but remembered Keitaro's words from the night before: _the way we do business, is not the kind where you emotions can be worn on your sleeve. _

He closed his eyes and held his breath, trying his best to calm himself. He couldn't show emotion, it was as simple as that. If things went violent, then Naruto would just have to fight his way out. According to Keitaro, half of Gatou's goons were bandits with no skill in the sword. Dispatching them would be a simple task.

"What do you want?" A voice called behind him. Naruto turned his head to find a tall, muscular man staring him down. As opposed to the formal suit most wore to conceal their weapons, he was clad in musty robes with his axe latched to his belt. The man bore spite all over his face. Naruto swallowed and tried to stay calm. Keitaro's instructions floated into his head: _Remain calm and respectful. If anything goes wrong, stand your ground. If all else fails, run._ As calmly as he could, he said, "I want to speak with Boss Gatou."

The man raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"Business," Naruto answered. The goon shook his head mockingly, "Nice try kid. What does a brat like you have that could be considered business?"

The man made eye contact with Naruto. Naruto tried hard not to blink. Keitaro's words drifted into his mind: _If they make eye contact, don't break it. Don't think about anything that can give our plan away. Instead, focus on something you like, for example: ramen._ The steaming soup entered his mind, its mouth watering flavors teasing Naruto's appetite. Slowly, he reached for the white cloth and unwrapped it, revealing Keitaro's katana.

The guard's eyebrows popped up in disbelief. Keitaro told Naruto to expect this but to show no reaction. _Appear clueless to what's going on, but_ _know your enemy's next ten moves._ The guard disappeared into the building only to return moments later, "The Boss will see you."

He opened the gate and allowed Naruto to enter. Naruto quickly rewrapped Keitaro's katana before stepping onto the other side of the gate. The guard motioned for Naruto to follow him inside. Not much had changed in the two days since he had been there, with the exception that it was busier in the day.

The two secretaries were still busy at work behind their desks, however were now aided by a group of young women helping them file out the paperwork. Several people went to and fro the lobby with bags, carts and all assortment of goods at their hands. There were several hushed conversations going on around them about transportation, marketing, sales with the occasional personal matter throw in. Needless to say, a horde of guards in the casual black lined the walls of the lobby. All of them openly displayed their weapons.

Naruto followed the guard to the highest floor, which consisted of a straight hallway with one door at the end. The guard knocked on the door, followed by a simple, "Come in."

The guard opened the door and pushed Naruto inside. The office was dark with all the curtains and blinds closed. What little light filtered in revealed a dusty office desk stacked high with paper, books, scrolls and pens. Gatou was leaning against his desk, dressed in his black slacks and yellow dress shirt. He rolled a cigar in his mouth, letting its foul aroma fill the room. He had his cane at his side, rolling his hand along the diamond atop it. There was a fireplace to the side, although it appeared to have been in disuse for some time. Over the fireplace was what caught Naruto's eyes. Two severed arms nailed to a board of wood, hung like a trophy for all to see. Under the arms was a small brass plaque that read: Kaiza.

_Okay_, Naruto thought, _I'm in_. _Stay calm and don't do anything stupid. Stick to the plan._ He took a deep breath and turned his attention away from the arms. The guard stepped around Naruto and whispered something into Gatou's ear before turning to leave. He closed the door quietly behind him. Naruto dropped to his knees and bowed as low as his waist would let him, followed by a formal, "Thank you for seeing me, Boss Gatou."

Naruto didn't look up, instead choosing to stare at the ground. He heard the guard close the door quietly. Calmly, Gatou asked the first question, "Tell me Naruto, to what do I owe this visit?"

Naruto tilted his head up so he could make eye contact with Gatou. Gatou's cold stare seemed to pierce into Naruto's eyes, trying to figure him out. He quickly started thinking about ramen again, letting the savory flavor relax his mind. Slowly, he recited the words, "I want you to _kill_ Keitaro."

It was said with no emotion, and no hesitation. Gatou would be suspicious if Naruto wavered in his demand. Slowly Naruto leaned into sitting position, still on his knees. His legs started to ache in pain. He hated the _seiza_ position, but as Keitaro explained it was part of the hierarchy. It was both respectful and acknowledged the other's superiority.

Gatou's eyes narrowed into an icy glare. He pulled the cigar out of his mouth and growled, "Why should I? You come in here, with Keitaro's prized katana and you expect me to kill him? Why should I do this for you? What makes you think a brat like you can request a hit? Especially on the friend of the man who saved you?"

There was a cold sharpness to Gatou's words. Still, Naruto couldn't allow Gatou to jerk his chain. He could let Gatou think he was jerking his chain, but if he went too far, Gatou would notice. Naruto slowly lowered his head, "He's rude and annoying. He has no respect, and he's an all out jerk. Hashi-sensei promised Keitaro would train me but Keitaro keeps blowing it off. He also keeps wandering off, and I'm the one he's supposed to be protecting."

Silence. Naruto was told to anticipate this. Gatou was a calculating man, always thinking. He was a difficult man to predict, but certain tells always suggested what he was thinking. It was a matter of reading the tell correctly. Keitaro reasoned Naruto's ability to catch them had improved to some extent.

"But why should I be the one to kill him? From what I understand, you know how to use a katana and you have a katana. Second, when you count Keitaro's. You can steal his weapon but you cannot steal his life?" Gatou countered.

Naruto bit his lower lips, slowly timing his words. The next part had to sound convincing, otherwise Naruto would have to run. His heart started to race, knowing very well his next words would either result in his death or his success. Trying to calm himself, he started to speak slowly, "Why would I take that pleasure from someone much more deserving?"

Naruto bowed again, tilting his head only slightly to see Gatou's left shoe. Although Gatou was an intelligent man, cunning yet cautious, vanity was always his heel. Pride, it brought out the worst in everyone. Not only was humiliation Gatou's greatest fear, but his self-respect was sensitive. Gatou did not tolerate disrespect, but it didn't change his greatest weakness: compliments towards his arrogance.

Gatou's foot tilted to the right. Naruto did his best to hide a smirk when he saw it. A small laugh started from Gatou, "You're smarter than you look. I like that. You should have come to me about this earlier. Maybe we could have worked something out."

Naruto slowly rose up, "Thank you Boss Gatou."

"I will take you on as a protégé," Gatou continued, "I want you close to me from now on. You'll be living the high life from now on kid."

"Thank you Boss Gatou," Naruto said, bowing again. He felt his eye twitch at the idea of being Gatou's protégé. Gatou smiled proudly, "You're a good kid. Now, show me Keitaro's katana."

He reached for the white cloth and unwrapped it a quickly as he could. He presented Keitaro's katana to Gatou. The short, plump man smiled a dark grin as he saw the katana before him. Gatou took it in his hands and removed the katana from its scabbard. Gatou examined it carefully, "Ah, the famous katana: _Lupara._ A true rarity in design, it is marvelous. Let's see how _powerful_ Keitaro is without his precious katana."

Gatou replaced the katana in its scabbard and tied it to his waist calmly. Naruto gritted his teeth, unable to bear the sight of Gatou donning Keitaro's most valued possession. But he knew it would be better if he bit his tounge. He started thinking about ramen again, trying to draw attention away from Gatou and towards his love of the succulent dish. Unfortunately, Gatou broke his train of thought when he asked, "When do want to deal with Keitaro?"

"Today," Naruto answered, hiding the disdain in his voice, "He's going down to the bridge to deal with the Konoha shinobi. Kill him there, and the Konoha shinobi can take the blame."

Gatou raised an eyebrow, "Now?"

Naruto nodded, "It would be in _our_ best interest to dispose of him quickly."

"Our?" Gatou repeated warningly, "Allow to explain something to you: There is no our in this situation. The only thing that should be important to you are my interests. Do you understand me?"

Naruto bit his lip, trying hard to hide his growing dislike of Gatou, "I'm sorry, Boss Gatou. Please forgive me."

"You're new," Gatou reasoned, "But never make that mistake again."

He turned his attention away from Naruto, slowly walking towards the door, "Fortunately, my business partners are already at the bridge dealing with the Konoha _problem_. Let's take a quick walk Naruto; I'm in a mood for some entertainment."

"Yes, Boss Gatou," Naruto said happily. Gatou nodded and walked towards the door, reaching for his coat. He put it on quickly, while Naruto followed after him. The two of them returned downstairs into the main lobby. The hundreds of guards lining the walls bowed upon seeing Gatou, as did all the workers present. Even the secretaries rose from their desks to bow before the man. The bulky guard Naruto remembered from the gate approached Gatou and Naruto, "Is everything in order boss?"

Gatou nodded, "Yes. I'm just going for a walk. Prepare my private boat, and get the bandits ready."

"How many of them boss?" The guard asked stupidly. It was then that Gatou smiled wickedly, "All of them."

The guard stopped dead in his tracks, "Are you sure? Do you want me to get some of the guys together? You'll be safer if you have a least 10 of us around to protect you."

"No," Gatou's answer struck like lightning, "But since you asked, arrange a hit squad together and stop by the bridge builder's home. He's been a thorn on my side ever since that son-in-law hero got his just desserts. I'll do to him, his daughter and, brat grandson what I did to that fool Kaiza. Get rid of him and his family."

"Yes sir," the man bowed. Hiding his surprise, Naruto turned to face Gatou and calmly asked, "You want to kill civilians?"

"Is that a problem?" Gatou winced, "Naruto?"

Naruto pinched himself at his stupidity. He shouldn't have question Gatou's decision. If Naruto gave Gatou any reason to suspect he didn't respect Gatou's authority, then Gatou would quickly grow wary of Naruto. Slowing his breathing, the blonde shook his head and calmly answered, "I was merely going to point out that our…er…your business ventures might suffer losses if you were implicated in the murders."

Naruto wish he understood what that meant, but it sure did sound smart. A calculating look crossed Gatou's face, his face twisting into frustration. Naruto tried thinking about ramen again, but it wasn't working. He could still feel the surprise on his face.

"You're right," Gatou answered. He turned to the guard and quickly said, "Change in plan: Have those two buffoons, Waraji and Zouri, kidnap the bridge builder's daughter and grandson."

"Very good sir," the guard bowed again, "Anything else?"

"That will be all for now. You are dismissed," Gatou finished. The guard bowed again before disappearing. Good thing too, Naruto was really annoyed with the _yes-man_. Then again, it made sense for someone like Gatou and his sick pride. Gatou turned to Naruto and patted his shoulder, "Now that is why I like you, kid. You're the perfect advisor in this room full of yes-men. It's bold, unique. I respect it."

"Thank you, Boss Gatou," Naruto bowed sickly. No matter how much he didn't want to admit it, he didn't like the idea of helping Gatou. But, if it kept himon Gatou's good side then he wasn't going to complain. Gatou walked towards the door, Naruto following close behind the short burly man. Instead of going to the main entrance, they went straight down a dark, narrow corridor that led outside into a courtyard. It was around midday outside, the sun shined brightly on the grounds. The courtyard was lined beautifully with an array of flowers and exotic trees. The downside was the beauty of the courtyard did not distract attention away from the many armed bandits waiting impatiently.

Once Gatou and Naruto were in their sights, one of the larger bandits clad in nothing but what appeared to be a skirt marched right up to Gatou, "What is so important that you had to get us all down here so quickly?"

Gatou smirked cunningly, "Relax! We're just going to go deal with an impudent pest."

……………

To say Sakura was upset would be an understatement. In actuality, she was devastated and crest fallen. It was supposed to be a routine day: she, Sasuke, Hinata and Kakashi-sensei were to go to the bridge and guard the bridge builder while he did his work. But none of them expected to find the construction crew beaten to a pulp. Even more surprising were the two rogue-nin Zabuza and Haku, waiting patiently for them. Kakashi-sensei quickly ordered her and Hinata to guard Tazuna, while him and Sasuke dealed with Zabuza and Haku.

A thick fog swirled in just as Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei charged in. The fog was so heavy that she couldn't hear Sasuke or Kakashi-sensei. Only sound of metal colliding in mid-air, accompanied with the thwack of a fist colliding with face, followed shortly by grunts of pain. When the fog cleared, a weakened Zabuza and Kakashi-sensei were still exchanging fists while Haku stood over a defeated Sasuke.

She cringed at the sight, horrified to see the _love_ of her life lying still. At first, she wanted to believe he was just unconscious. But then she saw he wasn't breathing. In that instant, she forgot all about Tazuna, Hinata, Zabuza, Kakashi, or Haku. She wanted to run to Sasuke, to bring him back from the jaws of death. But she knew she couldn't leave the bridge builder's side. Why did she go along with the mission? Why didn't she protest it? Unable to bear the loss, she sank to her knees and started to weep uncontrollably.

Unfortunately, it was that moment of weakness which Haku and Zabuza had been looking for. In a blind charge, both Zabuza and Haku ran straight past the weeping Sakura and straight towards the bridge builder. Sakura realized one second too late the cost of her mistake, and turned around just in time to see Hinata throw herself in the way of Zabuza and Haku's attack.

Sakura felt her jaw drop to the ground when Hinata was ripped in half by Zabuza's monstrous sword, making room for Haku to go straight for Tazuna. Just before Haku could thrust a fist full of kunai into the elderly man, he turned into a cloud of smoke. Zabuza and Haku stopped dead in their tracks, dumbfounded to find the old man transformed into a block of wood.

"Sakura! Fall back to our position!" Kakashi screamed from his end of the bridge. Sakura, turned her head to see Hinata holding a surprised Tazuna. She sighed in relief, realizing Hinata used a substitution to protect herself and the bridge builder. She almost laughed at her mistake, but was still too broken up over the death of one Sasuke Uchiha. Wiping her hot tears away with the back of her hand, she ran towards her team.

"I'm sorry about that Kakashi-sensei," Sakura apologized weakly. Kakashi held Sasuke's limp body over his shoulders, shrugging off Sakura's apology and saying, "Forget about it. We need to retreat back into the village."

"I'm afraid you won't be retreating anywhere," said a cold, familiar voice. Sakura spun on her heels but shortly wished she didn't. Behind them, a mob of bandits stood armed to the teeth with their weapons. Standing before this mob was the dark Gatou and a rather surprised Naruto. How did they get there though? The mob stood on the side of the bridge that wasn't finished and hung over a wall of water. Had they climbed? How? They would have needed a boat to even get there.

"No…" Kakashi groaned, "Not now…"

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked her jonin squad leader. His face was trapped in a mix of awe and exasperation. Quietly, he mumbled the words, "I'm sorry Minato-sensei…"

……………

Naruto blinked in disbelief. Kakashi was carrying a limp Sasuke on his back. In fact, Sasuke didn't even look like he was breathing. Was he…dead? Naruto couldn't say Sasuke didn't deserve it, but he was certainly disappointed to find out the guy he hated most was beaten by someone other than himself.

Collateral damage, maybe?

No, Naruto couldn't accept that. If Sasuke was going to die, it was going to be at Naruto's hand and not anyone else's. He had a pretty good idea who did it too. It was a shame he couldn't do anything about Sasuke. His attention turned to Kakashi, who was caught in a daze. The expression on his face was blank, lost as to what to do next.

Then, he looked at Sakura. The redness in her eyes proved only one thing, she had been crying. It confirmed Naruto's suspicions, Sasuke was dead and done for. Then he looked at Hinata, who looked indifferent until she realized Naruto was looking at her. She made a weird expression between a kind smile and an evil glare, causing Naruto to raise an eyebrow.

Pushing this aside, he remembered he had to stick to Keitaro's plan. Gatou step forward towards Kakashi and his genin team, "You Konoha shinobi really are pathetic, walking into a trap like this. And you Zabuza: has a third-rate shinobi and a team of brats proven to tough for you?"

Zabuza growled at the annoying man. Gatou shook his head, "That really is a pity. I see Keitaro isn't here, the coward probably fled. Good for nothing trash."

Gatou turned to Naruto, "What do you think Naruto? Shall we kill them?"

"I think…" Naruto started. This was the most dangerous part of Keitaro's plan. It was all coming to fruition. If everything went smoothly then he would be out of here quickly, "I think you're the biggest fool I've ever met."

"What?" Gatou gasped. Naruto drew _Kitsune_ from its scabbard and, in a swift wave of motion, stabbed Gatou in the chest. This was it, the point of no return. It was all or nothing from here. Gatou, still unable to comprehend what happened, recoiled backwards. Naruto removed his katana from Gatou's chest and cut the thread holding _Lupara_ to Gatou's waist. It fell to the ground with a clang. Naruto quickly grabbed the silver katana and knotted it into his jacket. He ran to the side of the bridge and started to climb over the railing. By that time, Gatou let out a wail of pain followed by a sharp, "GET THAT BRAT!"

Naruto turned to face the Kakashi and his team once he was on the other side of the bridge. He replaced Kitsune in its scabbard and apologetically said, "I'm sorry about Sasuke."

Naruto jumped backwards off the bridge, just in time to avoid the mob of bandits. His heart raced as he fell faster to the water below. The height of the fall assured him of one thing: The landing was going to hurt like hell. He angled himself so that he would fall flat on his belly and started to scan the water for a boat.

He fell faster, gaining speed. Where was that boat?

He scanned every inch of the water, until he saw a small row boat heading towards him. He smiled as hit the raging river, splashing the water high into the air. If Naruto was right about anything, it was the pain of the fall. The impact hit his body hard, and he gave himself a second to recover from the pain before he started swimming towards the surface. Unfortunately, the katanas: Kitsune and Lupara, were heavier under water. Naruto could feel the immense weight trying to drag him down. He kicked his feet as hard as he could, trying t push his sore and aching body towards the surface. Unfortunately, his lungs started to give way to the pressure of the depth and he desperately needed to breathe.

He couldn't stay underwater forever. Air! He needed Air. Water started to enter his mouth, the foamy bubbles of air quietly surfacing out. He pushed harder and harder, trying desperately now to get out of the water. He let out a gasp for air as he surfaced, flailing his limbs wildly to stay afloat. He searched the water around him, finding the rowboat paddling next to him. A hand reached out and grasped his arm firmly, pulling him out of the water and onto the little vessel.

Naruto coughed and hacked furiously, trying to regain his bearings. Water flew out of his mouth, and he felt a warm blanket wrap itself around his freezing, soaking form. Naruto pulled the two katana off himself, taking deep breaths so his body would get the air it so desperately needed.

"Are you alright Naruto?" came Keitaro's comforting voice. Naruto nodded, "Yeah. I'm fine."

"How did it go?" Keitaro inquired, taking _Lupara _in his arms like an old friend. Naruto shivered before answering, "All according to plan. We got Gatou all the way out here. He's dead."

Keitaro nodded calmly, "You did good Naruto."

He grabbed two oars and started to paddle the little boat back to shore.

……………

**Author's Notes:** Gatou is dead and his tyranny is at an end, but now the Land of Waves is under free reign. With no one left to control Gatou's massive enterprise, it seems his loyal subordinates and the hundreds of bandits under his employ are without a leader and free to do what they want. Was killing Gatou the right choice? Find out this and more on the next exciting chapter of Oyabun. If you enjoyed this chapter, let me know in the review section. I'm also open to constructive criticism and speculation. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	10. The Birth of A Gangster

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates.

**Author's Notes: **It's that day again. The day where Oyabun is updated. I would like to say thank you for all the reviews you guys left. Again, this chapter might not have such good quality since it's another last minute throw together. I apologize deeply since my time has been very tight lately. Thanks to all the readers and anyone kind enough to leave a review. You guys are what makes this story great. Now, as is my custom, I would like to respond to all the reviews I have been left:

**Akina no Akumaz: **Thanks for the compliment. I must be honest when I say that I throw a lot of these chapters together very last minute, so words like that are just so kind. Thank you.

**AnsemMesna: **You have asked and you have received. The next chapter has arrived, but sadly I cannot kill Sasuke for two reasons: 1) It would break the canonity of Kishimoto's universe and 2) the last time I attempted to kill of a major character, a fan-girl/boy harassed my email for several days. Thanks for your thoughts though. (Between you and me, I feel the same way: Sasuke needs to die)

**Akira Stridder: **Mr. H makes all the problems go away.

**Peter Kim:** Let me say that your speculations become increasingly enjoyable. I respect that. Although, I must say one of those speculations is getting dangerous close to the truth. If your figure out which one, please keep it to yourself. I look forward to your future speculations.

**Avatarofrage: **I love your insight into the story, its unique yet subtle. Respect.Naruto doesn't actually want to _kill_ Sasuke. I worded it wrong and I meant to say Naruto was upset that he wasn't the one that got to beat Sasuke senseless. Keitaro and Naruto's reputation might come under scrutiny in the future. I see you finally picked up on Hinata's increasingly peculiar behavior. Kudos to you. You hit the nail on the head with that one: She knows as a kunoichi of Konoha, she knows she has to kill Naruto, but she still holds feelings for him. She also feels betrayed since he broke his nindo (_I never go back on my word_) when he left the village, thus giving up his dream to be Hokage. I look forward to seeing how you interpret this chapter.

**shadowiscool28:** Thanks. You've stuck with the story for some time and for that I commend you.

**bbiscool323: **Thanks and I have. I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

And now I present to you the continuation of Oyabun:

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 10: The Birth of A Gangster**

Naruto sat quietly in his room, still amazed at the effects of Keitaro's plan. A week passed since the successful assassination of Gatou and Naruto's faked suicide. Keitaro reasoned that Konoha would repeal Naruto's S-Rank status if they believed him to be dead. To that end, he was to stay in hiding until the Konoha nin leaved. The Konoha nin were able to successfully dispatch the bandits, along with the help of Zabuza and Haku. Zabuza had been killed in the ensuing fray, a result of the mortal wound Kakashi inflicted on Zabuza before Gatou's arrival. In his weakened condition, he was in no state to take on so many opponents at once. His death was quick and painless.

Haku, without master and without further purpose, went to the only ones he knew he could rely on: Naruto and Keitaro. Although the two of them were never on good terms with Haku, hardly knowing the boy on a personal level, Keitaro seemed more than happy to welcome the boy to their safehouse. Naruto found Haku's company enjoyable, compared to the staggering loneliness of being locked inside the safehouse. Through his conversations with Haku, Naruto learned of the boy's tragic past. A past which reminded Naruto of his own lonely life in Konoha.

Haku revealed to Naruto and Keitaro several other details about the battle on the bridge. The bandits Gatou had brought along were all killed: either from fighting or drowning. Sasuke was alive and well, much to Naruto's disheartenment. Haku explained he had no intention of killing anyone that day, especially a child. Instead of killing Sasuke, Haku used a mix of precision reflexes and Zabuza's training to hit Sasuke's pressure points, thus rendering the young Uchiha unconscious.

However, there were several unforeseen details. The result of poor calculation and a misfortunate turn of events.

Construction on the bridge came to an abrupt halt that day on the bridge. Although there was no more threat on the bridge builder's life, there was concern for his daughter and grandson. The two of them were kidnapped by two of Gatou's hired goons and had been missing since. From what was understood, the bridge builder was informed no harm would come to them as long as construction on the bridge did not continue. This was bad for Naruto since it meant the Konoha nin would not be leaving for some time.

To add to the chaos, Gatou Corporation had come under a string of public scrutiny and inner turmoil. With Gatou dead, and no one in line to take his place, many of the company's assets went missing. Further, the feudal lord of the Land of Waves had become aware of the crimes committed by the corporation and set a large fine on the company as well as seized most of its property. Gatou Corporation was forced to declare bankruptcy shortly afterwards and nearly 2 billion ryou went missing.

To make matter's worse, the remnants of Gatou's _regime_ had entered a state of civil war. His subordinates had split into their own separate gangs, each trying to fulfill their own agenda. Although each of these gangs claimed to be their own legitimate syndicate, their function did not reflect on the principal of the Ninkyo Dantai. Many of these gangs went around killing and stealing for their own personal pleasures. They acted like and were _bosuzoku_. (Author's Note: Bosuzoku literally means Violence Group)

Although it troubled Naruto to say it, the Land of Waves was probably in better shape when Gatou was in control.

Upstairs, Naruto heard Keitaro walk through the front door, followed by hastened footsteps. Seconds later, there was a knock at his door, "Naruto. Dinner time."

"Okay," Naruto answered. He rose from his bed and went upstairs to the main floor. Keitaro had already laid out three plates and bowls, along with some rice balls, egg rolls, fried fish, shrimp, and red bean soup. Haku was also there, wearing a peculiar pink kimono. Haku caught Naruto's eye and kindly said, "Hello, Naruto."

Naruto acknowledged the greeting with a quiet nod, because he was too surprised by the kimono to say anything. Although Naruto would never openly say it, Haku had the most peculiar taste in clothing. He took his seat with a quick, "Itadakimasu."

Naruto started digging into the soup, just as Keitaro took his seat at the other side of the table. He sighed heavily and started eating some of the egg rolls. He didn't seem himself today.

"Are you alright?" Naruto asked. Keitaro shook his head, "No."

"Mind if I ask why?" Naruto pressed.

"You're going to either way," Keitaro responded quickly, "I spent all day trying to keep this village under control. Ever since Gatou's subordinates went off and made their own gangs, they've gone around fighting each other to claim the spot as number one gang in the country. To make matters worse, some other Syndicates learned about Gatou's death and are taking this chance to stake their claim."

"Other syndicates?" Naruto's eyes shot up. Naruto was aware there were other syndicates besides the Kuroihi, but he did not expect their involvement. He looked at Haku, hoping for an explanation but was met with a blank stare. Naruto never could get over how Haku always seemed to take the most serious of situations so light heartedly. This was especially true when Zabuza died, a fact that Haku had taken almost forgetfully. It was creepy. About as creepy as his love of wearing women's clothes.

"We might lose the Land of Waves, Naruto…" Keitaro sighed, bringing Naruto out of his train of thought. Naruto saw the horror in Keitaro's eyes. It was obvious he was none to pleased with the turn of events, "It's probably for the better."

Naruto slammed his fist on the table, which caught both Keitaro and Haku's attention. He didn't like the sound of resignation in Keitaro's voice. It was so unlike Keitaro. Naruto stood up and said, "You're just going to give in like that and let those guys take over the entire country!? What about all these people? Don't they mean anything?"

Keitaro shook his head, "It's politics Naruto…it's out of my hands."

"Out of your hands?" Naruto retorted, "It's not that hard to just go out there and stop them!"

"It's more complicated than that. Just because we look like we do whatever we want, doesn't me we aren't without law," Keitaro explained, "There's more to this life style than flashy clothes and weapons. Trust me, what you think you know about us is just the tip of the iceberg."

"What are you saying?" Naruto never felt so angry, "You're going to let them take over the country because you want to listen to some stupid law?"

"DROP IT!" Keitaro shouted at Naruto. Keitaro picked up his plate and walked into the kitchen. He dropped the plate into the sink and walked downstairs, "Clean up when you're done."

Naruto grumbled and sank down into his chair. Keitaro was being evasive again, but was it for the same reason or a different one? Now that Naruto thought about it, Keitaro always seemed to be restricted by _politics_. But that was only because Keitaro was a member of the Kuroihi Syndicate. Naruto, on the other hand, was not a Kuroihi. There were no politics holding Naruto back.

…

It was then that Naruto conceived what could be called his greatest idea to date. It wasn't as classy as Keitaro's plan, or as suave. Truthfully, it was blunt and completely dangerous. But wasn't that the same reason it could be considered fun? Still, Naruto would need some help. He turned to Haku and said, "Hey Haku, do you still have your ninja gear?"

Haku was surprised by Naruto's sudden question but answered with a curt nod. Naruto smiled approvingly, "Okay. When you're done eating can you go get your stuff together."

"Do you have something in mind?" Haku asked. Naruto expected Haku's response and calmly answered, "We're going hunting."

Haku seemed to understand what Naruto had in mind and went downstairs immediately. Naruto took the dishes and brought them into the sink to wash them. After cleaning the plates and wiping the table, Naruto ran downstairs into his bedroom. In his room, he opened the top drawer of his dresser and pulled out his blue cloak and rice hat.

Naruto donned the clothes quickly and picked up _Kitsune_, which lay on his bed. Naruto raced out of the room quickly and ran upstairs to find Haku waiting for his patiently. Haku adorned his kimono and mask as before, even tying his hair into a knot at the back of his head. Oddly, Haku's newest addition to his armament was Zabuza's large sword.

"Ready to go?" Naruto asked.

"Yes."

Naruto nodded and led the way out of the safe house. It was already dark out. It was quiet outside. There were no lights or people. It made sense since the village was caught in a crippling state of anarchy. The fact that the anarchy was his fault only encouraged Naruto to carry out his plan. Without a word, he raced down the street and into the night.

……………

Hinata flew from rooftop to rooftop. Ever since Tsunami and Inari were kidnapped, Kakashi-sensei had ordered Sakura and Hinata to scan the village for any sign of the two. A week's search turned up nothing, however. Truthfully, Tazuna was slowly losing hope that the two of them were alive. Hinata had done her best to keep the old man's hopes alive, but couldn't keep him out of his sorrow.

She could only imagine his suffering, first losing his son-in-law to Gatou and then losing his daughter and only grandson. It must have been heart breaking. Hinata however, swore to the old man she wouldn't let anything happen to them and that she would keep her word. It was her _nindo_, her ninja way: I will never go back on my word.

She stopped at the edge of town and activated her clan's special kekkei genkai, the byakugan, hoping to find some trace of Tsunami and Inari. A quick scan of the area was fruitless, showing nothing except sleeping villagers. She was a little jealous of their sound sleep, dreaming comfortably in their beds. Her eyes drooped, longing to close. But she couldn't sleep now! Not when Inari and Tsunami were missing. Maybe a small break wouldn't hurt?

She lied down on the roof and let her eyelids sink down. Two fast moving figures entered her byakugan's field of vision which she dismissed as two kids out looking for trouble. One of them wore a rice and a dark blue cloak, the other in a blue kimono and a mask marked with the symbol of Kirigakure

…

Kirigakure?

Her eyes shot open and she jumped to her feet. The second figure was undoubtedly Haku, but Hinata couldn't place a name to the first. He was too short to be Zabuza and didn't move nearly as fast. But the blue cloak and rice hat were disturbingly familiar. Who could it be?

She needed to alert Kakashi-sensei, in case they were too strong for her. At the same time she couldn't afford to let them get away, since they might lead her to Inari and Tsunami. Hinata groaned at her predicament and went with the only logical option: follow them. As quietly as she could, Hinata leaped down into the street below and shadowed the duo.

……………

Naruto and Haku had not gone too far before he found what he was looking for. A small group of hoodlums, ones he recognized from Gatou's compound, were gathered in an alley smoking what appeared to be cigarettes and drinking beer. There were seven of them in total, all drunk from the alcohol consumption. A small moan escaped the end of the alley. To Naruto's amazement, a little boy in a sun hat and overalls was among them. He was tied up in ropes and left by some of the trashcans.

Approaching them with a head-on attack wouldn't work in their favor, especially since they outnumbered Naruto and Haku. He couldn't talk them down since they probably held a grudge against him for killing Gatou. He could leave and go find other another gang of Gatou's former subordinates, but they couldn't just leave the kid there.

With that in mind, Naruto quietly whispered to Haku, "Follow my lead."

Haku nodded in understanding, silently accepting the order. The Naruto entered the alley and lowered the rice hat to hide his face, Haku following close behind. He had only gone two paces into the alley before one of the grunts caught sight of the duo. With the alcohol coursing through his veins and impairing his judgment, the drunkard stupidly said, "What do you want?"

The boy at the end of the alley propped his head up at the words, a hopeful look on his face. His gaze lingered on Naruto before sinking back down. There was something peculiar about the boy. He reminded Naruto of someone he knew, but who was it?

"Which one of you is in charge?" Naruto asked, his hand reaching for his katana. The drunk burped loudly and wiped his mouth, "Who wants to know?"

The drunk wore a nice black suit which was unkempt for some odd reason and covered in a thin layer of dirt. His tie was undone and his white dress shirt was untucked. His slacks hung from his waist with his belt buckled loosely around his waist. The man's hair was also a mess, resembling a bird's nest rather than hair.

"I do," Naruto answered. The drunkard laughed, and the others soon joined him, "YOU? A brat?"

He fell backwards, howling loudly with laughter. Naruto's face contorted at the shrewdness of the man's mockery and turned to look at Haku. Haku shook his head quietly. Naruto waited silently as the laughter died down. He opened his mouth to talk, but was stopped by the drunkard, "Tell you what kiddies, I'm in a good mood so I'm willing to let you go. Just turn around and walk away."

"Not without the boy," Naruto answered hastily. The man looked back at the boy and drew his katana, "No can do. See, this kid is the bridge builder's grandson. As long as we have this kid, we have the bridge builder. Now why don't you go run along."

The man was clearly too drunk to think clearly, otherwise he would not have told Naruto that information. The kid was the grandchild, so where was the mother? Naruto would have to concern his mind with that later since the band of hoods were slowly surrounding Naruto

Naruto's hand tightened around the hilt of his katana, itching to draw it and cut the hoodlums where they stood. But Naruto knew better, he loosened his hold on the katana and calmly said, "There's no honor in holding a little kid hostage."

Naruto didn't care if that was true; it made a lot of sense. The man didn't take it to kindly though. Naruto must have touched a nerve with that comment because in a matter of seconds the man had drawn a knife and dived at Naruto. Grabbing Kitsune in his hand, Naruto drew the weapon and thrust it forward into the man's stomach.

"GRAAHHH!" he howled in pain. Naruto pulled the katana out of the man's gut and pushed him to the ground. It was then and there that Naruto had done the opposite of his trademark smile. It was a cold, heartless glare that Naruto had never used before. To Naruto's surprise, the hoods actually started backing away from him.

"Get…him…you…" their wounded companion choked, blood oozing out of his mouth.

"Shut up," Naruto ordered dangerously. He raised Kitsune and stabbed the man's temple. The blade ran cleanly through to the other side of his head. The other hoodlums grabbed their weapons and rushed forward. Haku responded immediately by raising a menagerie of ice-like mirrors that surrounded the gangsters. Each mirror held the reflection of Haku, who toyed with senbon needles between his fingers.

Realizing what he had just done, Naruto released his hold of Kitsune. What was he thinking? Was he thinking? Naruto tried his best to hide his surprise, lowering his hat to hide the guilty look on his face. What was he going to do? Maybe he should have thought his plan out better. His mind reeled. His heart raced. This was the point of no return. If he backed down now, then they would kill him. If these hoods didn't do it, the Konoha shinobi clearly would.

He had no choice. He had to go ahead with his plan. He tried to relax himself by thinking about ramen and its alluring aroma. He could actually begin to taste the broth in his mouth, the luscious smell filling his lungs, the texture of the noodles on his mouth. It was sumptuous.

Perfectly relaxed, Naruto calmly said, "I'll say this again: Who's in charge here?"

The hoods exchanged worried glances. None of them dared to speak for one reason or another. He rolled his eyes at their silence. Clearly, they would rather die than answer his question. Donning the most aggressive face he could create, Naruto slid Kitsune out of the dead man's skull and wiped it on his cloak, "This can work two ways: tell me who's in charge or I can have my friend here kill all of you."

"He was in charge," one of them finally spat out, pointing at the dead man. This hood was adorned in a white hooded shirt and dark blue pants. Naruto smiled nervously, "Is that a fact?"

The man nodded. Naruto smiled dangerously, "Good."

Naruto walked into the heart of the alley and calmly proclaimed, "I'm taking over this group. Are there any problems with that?"

"Why should we listen to you?" another said threateningly. Naruto motioned to Haku. Almost immediately, Haku buried the man in a hail of senbon needles.

"That is why you should listen to me," Naruto warned.

There was a quick shift in their attitudes. These men were clearly not the most loyal group, nor the most courageous. Without uttering a word, they all fell to their knees and bowed to Naruto. Even though Naruto knew he couldn't show emotion, he couldn't help but smile at his victory apparent. There was, however, one difference in this smile. Although Naruto thought he was using his trademark smile, what the hoodlums saw was menacing and terrifying.

The silence held for a few moments before one of the hoods asked, "Would I be wrong to ask our new master's name?"

Naruto almost hit his head at his stupidity, formalities and all, but was now faced with a new dilemma. He needed a name. He couldn't give his name because he was technically dead. He needed a name that fit him, but gave no clue to his identity. Then it struck him. Slowly, he said, "You may call me _Kitsune_."

"Boss Kitsune," the subordinates said in unison, disdainfully instead of respectfully, "We pledge our allegiance to you."

Naruto's face remained impassive. They weren't loyal, pledging their allegiance to Naruto only because he proved he was stronger than their leader. He would need to find a way to truly win their loyalty; otherwise he would have to kill them. Hopefully he could do the former before the latter became necessary.

……………

Hinata gasped in horror, unable to believe what had just happened. Although she had finally caught up with Haku and his _accomplice_, she quickly regretted following them. To her dismay, Haku's accomplice was one Uzumaki Naruto. Hinata's faith in Naruto had never staggered until now. That day Naruto was branded a Yakuza, Hinata was the only person in the whole village who refused to accept it. Even Iruka-sensei, Naruto's favorite teacher and vice versa, believed Naruto chose a life as a criminal over a noble life as a shinobi. Hinata never accepted that.

But her eyes did not deceive her. They could not deceive her. She wanted so desperately to believe it was a cruel genjutsu. But it wasn't. No genjutsu could fool the byakugan. Hinata covered her mouth and wiped her eyes to hide her tears. Naruto, with the help of Haku, had killed another man and taken control of his gang. Why? How?

No one could know about this. If someone found out that Naruto was still alive…and was a gangster…

She couldn't let it happen. She…

Without another second's hesitation, Hinata ran. She ran far away, hot tears streaming down her cheeks, and into the night.

……………

**Author's Notes: **Poor Hinata. How is she going to cope with this sudden revelation? What will Naruto do with his new gang of underlings? Can he handle the pressures of a gang boss? Find out on Friday March 7, with the next update to Oyabun. If you loved the story leave a comment in the reviews section. I am also open to speculation and constructive criticism. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	11. Rise of the Kitsune Syndicate

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates.

**Author's Notes: **I want to give a huge thanks to everyone who enjoyed Chapter 10 of Oyabun and left a review. This story has officially reached 10,000 hits which is a first for any of my stories. To everyone who has been with this story since the beginning and everyone who reads the story now, THANKS! It's all down to you guys. Really, THANKS! This chapter is 8 pages long, excluding the Author's Notes, making it the longest one yet. Again, thanks you guys, you're the ones who make this possible. Unfortunately, the story takes a rather slow pace in this chapter serving more as filler than anything else. There are several last minute add-ons, but to put it simply, this isn't a last minute throw together. Now, as is custom with all of my chapters, I would like to respond to everyone kind enough to leave a review. There are a lot so bare with me.

**HolyKnight5: **You picked that up didn't you? You have very good taste, since the book and movie are some of my inspirations. Honestly, I listen to the soundtrack whenever I write this story.

**Akina no Akuma: **I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter. I'm also pleased that you had emotion for Hinata's tears. You caught what I was trying to convey so thanks!

**AnsemMesna: **I agree with you so much. Sasuke is a bit of a jerk and Sakura is a little annoying but experience has taught me to never mess with fanboys/girls. They tend to go…_crazy_…when you challenge their beliefs. I also don't want to break the canonity of Kishimoto's universe too much. They may die soon though.

**Vassago-Toxicity: **You pretty much summed it up in a nutshell. Naruto doesn't actually want to kill Sasuke, he just wants to prove he can be and is better than him. Yep, Mizuki never found Naruto so he never actually stole the sealing scroll. Kitsune and Kyuubi could be inter related. I'm not exactly sure where I'm going to go with that katana yet.

**Symbiotic: **Thanks for your words and advice, something I tend to take for the future. It's a dark world they live in and things never actually slow down so I spend a good amount of time on setting the mood. I'm sorry you didn't have sympathy for Hinata, but that's okay. It was really a last minute add-on, I literally added that part moments before I posted the chapter, so I didn't get a lot of time to flesh it out. But I'm glad you like the story enough to stick with it from the beginning. I'm tossing you also a commendation since you've enjoyed this story so much.

**Avatarofrage: **I truly enjoy your logic since a lot of it is helpful for a focal point in the next chapter. I love it man! It's great! Sadly, there's no such thing as a true peace in the Yakuza, so Naruto must either perish or conquer the underworld. In this chapter, we see Naruto's gang grow a little. But we'll see how big it gets. You won't get to see Haku use Zabuza's sword yet. But this may be important during the Chunin Exams, though.

**Peter Kim: **It seems you've pretty much figured out who is sending the shinobi after Naruto. Please, keep it to yourself since that is an important plot point. I beg of you! Again, the world of the yakuza is very violent and fast paced. Either keep up or get run over. As for Hinata, mum is the word. SHHH!!! Like I told AnsemMesna, I have no intention of killing Sasuke or Sakura since I don't want to break the canonity of Kishimoto's world and I'm horrified of fanboys/girls.

**shadowiscool28: **I see yoy're enjoying your commendation. That's cool. But don't get cocky. It's good to see you've enjoyed the story so much. Sadly, I could not fit a way to incorporate Haku using Zabuza's sword in this chapter. I'll try in the next chapter since it's that's when things will pick up.

**Zombie Master:** Thanks for the compliment, I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

**TGxSTep: **Ask and you shall receive. The chapter is officially three pages longer, not counting the Author's Notes.

**Saturnblue: **The people of Konoha didn't blame him for anything. If you notice though, some of the charges placed against Naruto match a crime committed in the first chapter. Just a side note. If you figure anything out, please keep it to yourself. The third's stand on Naruto is still being debated since I have no idea how to incorporate that. Finally Kakashi is aware that Naruto is the son of his sensei. He doesn't actually hate Naruto. The old conflict of Duty versus Friendship, which cost Obito his life, is merely haunting Kakashi again.

**Akira Stridder:** Thanks! I hope you enjoy the next one.

And now, without further distraction, I present to you the continuation of Oyabun:

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 11: Rise of the Kitsune Syndicate**

Naruto found it difficult to hold back his delight. He felt his heart beat fast inside his chest from the anxiety. But how could he not be excited? Not only had he taken control of his own gang, he also had the bridge builder's grandson under his thumb. Now he had to acquire the mother, but first he needed to find out where she was. His subordinates had the grandson, so there was no doubt they would know where the mother was. Unknowingly, Naruto smiled his dark smile again.

But he needed to earn their loyalty. He had won their loyalty, but it was out of fear. Fear of the prospect of murder. As long as Naruto held a terrifying dominance, he would be able to control them. Who knew? Maybe his leadership would earn him their respect and loyalty.

Naruto signaled to Haku to release the ice mirrors. To Naruto's surprise, Haku emerged out of one the mirrors bearing a confused expression. An expression Naruto had never seen on the boy who normally seemed so calm and collected. As calm as Haku could, he quietly said, "Are you sure? They aren't the most loyal group. They'll probably turn on you if they see the chance."

"Like I'm going to give them the chance," Naruto answered with his famous trademark smile, "We'll use them as long as we need them. We'll test their loyalty and see how far they'll go. Once they've outlived their usefulness, I leave them to you."

This appeared to put Haku's mind at ease since he followed Naruto's order. The ice melted into water, staining the ground a dark color. Naruto's new subordinates were still bowing before him, an act the blonde could easily get used to. But Naruto still needed to test the loyalty of his new henchmen, a matter he needed to look into later. But first, Naruto needed to take care of the bridge builder's family.

"Untie the bridge builder's grandson," was Naruto's first official order.

"Yes sir," Two of the men walked over to the young boy and undid the ropes without question. They brought the grandson before Naruto, one of them holding the boy's shoulder while the other held his katana at the ready. Naruto motioned to the guard to lower his katana and calmly said to the boy, "What's your name?"

"Like I'll tell you," he answered. Naruto's face contorted into the evil glare he wore moments ago. As calmly as he could, Naruto growled, "Is that any way to treat the guy who saved your life?"

Naruto's tone of voice must have had a chilling effect. As those words escaped his mouth, the grandson started to quiver. After a few minutes of prolonged silence, the boy finally said, "Inari…my name's Inari."

"It's nice to meet you Inari," Naruto responded. He turned to his subordinates and said, "Where is his mother?"

There was an uncomfortable silence among the subordinates, obviously too scared to give an answer. Was it possible the mother was dead? Or were they just worried Naruto would react violently to the answer they would give? Naruto needed to know where Inari's mother was so they could be returned to the bridge builder. If the bridge could be finished, then the Konoha nin would leave and Naruto could come out of hiding. A few moments of frustrating silence passed, broken only when Naruto turned to Haku and said, "Feel free to make them talk."

Haku embraced the order warmly. A calm yet dangerous smile appeared on his face. The boy reached into his pocket and withdrew several senbon needles, which he held between his fingers. Just as Haku prepared to strike, one of the subordinates fell to his knees and cried out, "Wait, Boss Kitsune! Forgive us!"

Haku stopped just in time to prevent the senbon needle from impaling the man. Naruto stepped towards the groveling man and asked, "And you are?"

"Kasen Eiji," he answered, "Forgive us, please sir. We…we don't know where the bridge builder's daughter is…"

"Don't?" Naruto's voice asked with a concerned tone. Eiji nodded fearfully and quickly added, "Yes sir, we were only able to track down the bandit who kidnapped the bridge builder's grandson, the one called Zouri."

Zouri…Naruto remembered that name. Zouri was one of the bandits Gatou sent to capture the bridge builder's family. It made sense that they would run off after Gatou's death. So if they captured Zouri, then Waraji was the one who captured Inari's mother.

"Where is he now?" Naruto inquired, trying his best to contain his enthusiasm. Eiji looked at Naruto hesitantly. There was a mix of fear and anger in his eyes. Eiji softly said, "We killed him."

Naruto tightened his fist. The idiots killed the only lead to finding Inari's mother. Naruto bit his lip in disappointment, "Did he mention anything about the boy's mother?"

"We did interrogate him about the mother," Eiji answered, "He gave several locations. All of them were empty leads. The dirty liar…"

Naruto's eyes widened at the words. Locations? Naruto remembered a lesson from the ninja academy regarding VIPs in hiding. The VIPs were usually moved on a weekly basis between several different safe houses until it became safe for the VIP to surface again. Maybe some of those locations were the ones used to hide Inari's mother. It was possible that she was moved daily which explained why she wasn't at any of the named locations. Of course, if Waraji figured out Zouri was captured, then Waraji would probably have used different locations. Maybe if they were staked out?

"What places did he name?" Naruto asked Eiji. Still on his knees, Eiji listed off, "Warehouse 27 at the docks, the hot springs along the western end of the village, Gatou's favorite restaurant, the bombed-out inn, the broken safe house on the southern end of the village and the Gatou Corporation building."

Naruto mulled it over. There were six different locations that needed watching, with only five men at his disposal. Naruto was certain Inari's mother wouldn't be in the safe house since it was the same one he, Keitaro and Haku were currently using. That one he could dismiss, leaving five locations and five people. He was going to have to spread them thin for the time being, since five people would not make a very strong force. Naruto could join them in the streets, but he was supposed to be dead. Haku wasn't dead or in hiding though. Naruto smiled at his own cunning and motioned for his new subordinates to rise.

"I'm going to assign each of you one of those locations. I want you to stake them out, but don't arouse suspicion. That's the last thing I want. If you see either Waraji or the bridge builder's daughter I want you to contact Haku immediately. Is that understood?" Naruto said with a commanding tone. There was a silent agreement among each of them. Naruto smiled his wicked smile again and assigned each of them their own location. With their assignments in mind, the gang scattered out of the alley leaving Naruto, Haku and Inari alone.

Naruto turned to face them, noting Haku's calm demeanor and Inari's panicked expression. It was odd, seeing two people so close in age yet so different in personality standing next to each other. Haku was an accomplished killer, but had a calm disposition while Inari was an innocent youth but was scared out of his mind.

Then another problem occurred to Naruto. Inari needed to be hidden for the time being, but where? The safe house was out of the question since Naruto didn't want to Keitaro learning about tonight. Specifically, the parts concerning the violent commandeering of a gang and the capturing of the bridge builder's grandson. It would more trouble than it was worth.

Maybe Haku would have an idea since Gatou had them in hiding for some time. Then it occurred to Naruto that he could solve his problem rather easily. Donning a friendly face, Naruto calmly asked, "Haku, could you take Inari to Zabuza's old hideout? The one Gatou had you two hiding in?"

"Of course I could," Haku answered kindly, "But wouldn't it make more sense to bring him to the safe house?"

Naruto shook his head, "I don't want Keitaro finding out about any of this. I don't want people connecting this whole thing back to me, either. Could you hold the reigns for me?"

"I don't see why not," Haku answered, "Although I'm not so sure it would be a wise choice."

"Why not?"

"With Zabuza," Haku said almost calmly, as if he were referring to an old friend, "I had usually taken orders from him, so I'm not familiar with giving orders."

"Neither am I," Naruto shot back happily, "But that's not the case. The thing is, I want you to relay messages between me and the boys."

"Okay," Haku said, sounding rather distraught.

Naruto nodded, "Thanks Haku. You're a good friend."

They both fell silent at the sound of the word. Although he didn't realize it, he and Haku were wearing the same confused expression and, surprisingly enough, for the exact same reason. Neither of them had ever used nor been called the word _friend_ before. Haku unsure of how to react, nodded quietly. Naruto nodded back. A few moments of awkward silence past, broken only by the sound of a dog howling in the distance.

"Thanks again," Naruto finally said, "Tomorrow, go around and see if the guys saw anything. Then come by the safe house and tell me what they found out."

Naruto asked. Haku nodded again, something Naruto found confusing. Why did Haku listen to Naruto without protest? It seemed a little strange to say the least. Was Haku trying to win his trust? It seemed a little odd since they were all ready considerably good friends…unless Haku was plotting against him. By why would he do that? It would only…

Naruto paused. Was he getting paranoid? No, he was just being cautious. Why shouldn't he be? After all, it was a dangerous game he was playing.

"Okay," Naruto smiled, "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Haku returned the smile and jokingly said, "I'll see you then, _Kitsune_."

Naruto chuckled as Haku and Inari left. Naruto wheeled around and left the dark alley, racing as fast as he could back to the safe house.

……………

The next day flew by rather quickly for Naruto. Keitaro left early that morning, straightening his suit as he left. He briefly mentioned a meeting with representatives of other organizations before he disappeared out the door.

With Keitaro gone and Haku still away, the house was quiet and Naruto was left to his own devices. The blonde spent most of his day sitting quietly in the kitchen, drinking a glass of juice and considered using his free time to plot out a strategy to stop the violent gang war waging across the village. The first order of business was to rescue the bridge builder's grandson and daughter. But where would he go from there?

He had no idea how to manage a gang in a poor county like the Land of Waves. More importantly, how did a gang sustain itself in such a poor community? Drugs and prostitution seemed to be the only real possibility, but that sort of "business" was not the kind of thing Naruto wanted to get involved in. It was bad enough to commit murder twice in a week.

As Naruto considered every detail, he began to worry about Haku. It was getting late in the day, dusk setting its gloomily beautiful mood across the sky. Hopefully he was alright, but what about Inari? If the boy was injured there would only be trouble. A subtle knock on the door brought Naruto back into the real world.

"Nar…Kitsune? It's Haku," Haku's voice said from beyond the wooden door. Naruto opened it quietly and ushered Haku in, "I'm glad to see you're alright, Haku."

"Thank you," Haku said, stepping into the house. Inari, however, was nowhere in sight, "Where's Inari?"'

"He's okay," Haku answered reassuringly, "I asked Meizu and Gouzu to watch him." (Author's Note: Meizu and Gouzu are the two shinobi who attacked Team 7 in Episode 6 of the series.)

"Who are Meizu and Gouzu?" was the question on Naruto's mind.

Haku smiled assuringly, "They are two shinobi who have been with us since the coup in Kirigakure. They're very good at their jobs though, so there's no need to worry."

"What exactly is their job?" Naruto found himself asking.

"Assassination," Haku answered calmly.

"You left a kid with assassins!" Naruto almost shouted, "Why would you do that? What if they kill him? Everything would be ruined!"

"I considered that," Haku said, "But there too scared of me to even think about it. There's no need to worry. I've taken care of everything."

Naruto calmed down a little, but remained on edge. He sank down into his seat at the small dining table and took a sip of his juice, doing everything he could to tame his discomfort. He finished his glass in one go, and decided to get more out of the refrigerator. As he stood up, Haku quietly took a seat opposite of Naruto's.

"Do you want anything to drink?" he offered, extracting a bottle of peach juice.

"No thank you," Haku shook his head. Naruto filled his glass to the top and took a sip before returning the juice, "I met with all the guys and interrogated them. There has been no movement at any of the locations."

Naruto wasn't at all surprised, but he was a little disappointed. It made sense for Waraji to abandon the old locations if Zouri was captured, so that ruled out an immediate rescue attempt. The whole situation became a little more complicated. He mentally listed it on his to do list and set is aside for late.

"Did they say anything else?" Naruto asked. Haku nodded, "Yes. They're receiving complaints from their clientele regarding a lack of protection."

"Protection?" Naruto repeated, "They run a protection racket?"

Haku nodded quietly, "When Gatou was still alive, he divided his men into groups responsible for different operations. This gang was the group in charge of overseeing the protection rackets. After Gatou's death the daily power struggles, they only hold the businesses in and around the docks as well as two gambling rings."

Haku paused to clear his throat and continued, "A rival groups is taking over what's left of the ground they hold. They've raided some of the businesses and convinced the rest of the businesses to pay their dues to their gang. Those that refused or were raided were given a day to decide where their loyalties lie. They're complaining to the guys and demanding retribution."

Naruto groaned in disbelief. He needed to put off looking for the bridge builder's daughter so he could deal with the complaints. If he didn't, then he might lose his subordinates' support. Naruto sat down at the table and sighed, sipping his juice

"When did managing a gang become so complicated?" he said to no one in particular. Haku remained silent as Naruto tried to straighten his thoughts. He could just let the boys go crazy on this new gang. But what was this gang capable of? Were they larger in number or just a bunch of punks causing trouble? Punks could be easily absorbed into his gang, but what if they were organized? An organized group would be more than capable of defending themselves while attacking at the same time.

Naruto groaned, Why didn't he pay closer attention to the strategy lectures at the ninja academy? He racked his brain, trying to remember Iruka's lessons before saying, "Did they say anything in particular about this gang?"

"Not much," Haku answered, "They might have a ninja on their payroll. Eiji figures if they could afford a ninja, it would probably be a genin. The gang consists of 12 minors, 5 adults and Gatou's former head of security."

"Eiji?" Naruto repeated.

"Yes," Haku admitted quietly, "He is the most sensible out of all of them, although he is far from the bravest."

Naruto considered last night and reasoned it was all too true. Eiji only talked because Naruto was prepared to set Haku on them. He couldn't blame them thought, since Haku was so much like Zabuza and yet so different. And his passing was all too depressing to talk about when around Haku. Although Haku appeared to take Zabuza's death lightly, Naruto could see sorrow, grief and pain in the boy's eyes. He masked it well, but he could not fool Naruto.

To that end, the blonde felt pity for Haku. It seemed the ones he cherished most always died. Naruto recalled Haku's stories of his youth. At a young age, he discovered the ability to manipulate water as part of a special kekkei genkai he inherited from his mother. Sadly, it was during a time when ninja were in hiding, fearful of the masses. Haku's father had discovered this special ability and did what no man should ever do. Haku's father killed his wife and soon went after his young son.

At the time, Haku still had no control over his own powers and, in a state of fear, blindly killed his father. Haku soon found himself an outcast, scared to approach anyone and feared by everyone. It was not until his fateful encounter with Zabuza, that Haku found purpose in life again. But with Zabuza dead again, Haku had lost purpose.

Naruto knew the face Haku wore all too well. It was worn only by those who were without purpose, without knowledge of affection. Naruto supposed the closest Haku ever had of either was being around Zabuza. Truthfully, Naruto and Haku had more in common than he cared to admit.

The door creaked open. Haku and Naruto turned their necks to find Keitaro walking into the house with some a plastic bag. He quietly mumbled to himself and set the bag down in the kitchen with a quiet, "Hello Naruto…Haku."

"How's it going Keitaro?" Naruto asked casually, donning a cheerful look on his young face.

"Business as usual," he answered quietly before opening the trap door to go downstairs, "I'm going to lie down for a bit. Help yourselves to the fried squid."

Keitaro disappeared downstairs, closing the door behind him. Haku tilted his head, "He seems tired."

"Probably," Naruto responded quietly, "He's been trying to hold the reigns of the entire country since Gatou died. But he's one man. He can't do it by himself."

Silence filled the room again. It was then that Naruto was struck by an idea of sheer brilliance, one which none would never have been expected from him. Naruto was clearly getting good at the leadership thing, otherwise he would not have come up with this brilliant idea.

"Haku," Naruto said slowly, "How many people were hiding with you and Zabuza?"

"About ten including Meizu and Gouzu, why do you ask?" Haku answered, as though his words were old news.

"How many of them are there now?" Naruto asked.

"About four. After Zabuza died most of them returned to Kirigakure hoping for forgiveness from the Kage," Haku explained, "Although they're probably dead now since they were all S-rank criminals, other wise known as Kill-On-Sight."

Naruto shook his head at the obvious stupidity. Kill-On-Sight status did now warrant a peaceable surrender and forgiveness. At _least_ four of them had common sense. Slowly, Naruto formulated his plan. The main focus was still finding Inari's mother, but the gang war waging uncontrollably was what stood in his way.

In a hushed voice Naruto gave his commands to Haku, "Later tonight, tell the boys to take a break. Remind them to offer help to the remaining clientele: cleaning the shops, repairing damages, anything. When all of that is taken care of, I want you to get two of your ninja and Eiji."

"Eiji?" Haku asked. Naruto nodded, "Yes. I want you to bring along Eiji. Track down this gang that's causing trouble and _persuade_ them to join us. I want you to be respectful; don't reduce yourself to those fools' status."

"As you wish Naruto," Haku answered, "And if they refuse?"

"_Explain _to them the _benefits_ of joining," Naruto said, unknowingly donning his dark smile again. A shiver ran down Haku's spine. He understood what Naruto meant and quickly rose from his chair.

As he walked to door, Naruto called, "Would you like some squid before you go?"

Haku shook his head, "No, but thank you for asking."

Haku disappeared out the door just as the last glimpse of sun light disappeared.

……………

If there was any doubt in the mind of his gang that Naruto was not a competent leader, that doubt was put to rest in a matter of hours.

The plan was executed like clock work. The next day, this rival gang made a formal apology to the businesses they had harassed. As part of their apology, they paid 1000 ryou to each business as a good will investment. The public at large did notice several new members to gang, while others were not present. It came as no surprise when their office building underwent several renovations. All of the gang's old symbols were removed, replaced by the silhouette of a fox. The same change happened to every small business under the gang's protection.

The gang's new leader was a man by the name of Kasen Eiji. A man everyone assumed was a dangerous mad man at his ability to conquer one of the more violent bosuzoku.

That is what the public believed, much to Naruto's delight. Haku reported the gang pledged total allegiance to _Kitsune,_ which added forty-two men to Naruto's gang of five, brining the final number to forty-seven Of course, Naruto soon found the gang growing too large for himself and Haku to control. It was then that Kasen Eiji's ability was assessed. Eiji proved to be a reasonable man, and something of a tactical genius. Haku even went so far as to admit that Eiji was the only reason they were all alive, especially since the odds were fifty to four.

To show his gratitude, Naruto made him the unofficial shateigashira and placed him in charge of twenty men, including Eiji's four buddies. Eiji was also placed in charge managing all of the gang's business ventures. (**Author's Note:** Shateigashira is the number three man in any Yakuza and often referred to as the captain of the soldiers.)

Haku, for his strong sense of friendship and loyalty towards Naruto, was given command of the remaining twenty-seven grunts. This number combined with the four shinobi loyal only to Haku, made Haku the most powerful person in the group. For these reasons, Haku was appointed the unofficial wakagashira, or number two man. (**Author's Note:** The wakagashira is the number two man of gang and is the most powerful, behind only the Kumicho.)

Naruto, as the master mind behind the entire plot and the head of the organization became the group's kumicho, or chairman. Through a mix of fear and respect, Naruto was able to maintain his dominance as head of the gang.

It was on that day that Naruto's leadership as Kitsune was acknowledged. On that day, his gang established its power and ability. On that day, the Kitsune Syndicate was born.

……………

**Author's Notes:** Naruto has finally staked his claim in the underworld. Can he stay alive in a world crawling with danger at every turn? But what about Inari's mother? Where is she and is she alright? Find out next time on Friday March 21. If you loved the chapter, drop a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and speculations about the next chapter. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	12. Haku's Weakness

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates.

**Author's Notes:** Wow, thanks guys. I love how you guys appreciate this story from the reviews and I gotta say: THANK YOU! This story wouldn't be where it is without you guys! Really thanks! Once again, this is another last minute throw together and definitely my slowest chapter to date, as well as one of my shortest. I feel really sorry since you guys and gals really deserve a better chapter. I'm really sorry. I'm also sorry for the very late update. Unfortunately, this chapter is really geared more towards character development than anything else. Now, as is my custom, I wish to respond to several reviews:

**Ryan-Draven57:** Thanks for the review. Words like that keep me writing.

**Peter Kim: **Some more excellent speculation from PK. There were several ideas you had that I may steal, if you don't mind that is. These comments won't go away as far as I see the story, unless I get a rabid surge of emails into my mail box complaining about it.

**d.greynight: **Thanks for the review. I wish I had thought of that alias; it's a really good one.

**Avatarofrage:** You're right, if Eiji and Keitaro meet then it won't be pretty. Haku…may…I kinda wish you kept the breakdown to yourself. There is some interaction between Inari and Naruto in this chapter, granted it's only a little bit.

**bbiscool323: **Thanks for those words bb. It keeps me writing this whole thing.

**shadowiscool28: **You wish, but really, Keitaro is clueless to the whole thing. Haku will use the sword, but I'm not sure when yet.

**symbiotic: **Honestly man, you are one of the few people out there kind enough to leave constructive criticism so I must say: Thanks. The first part I'll take into consideration and I will end the spoilers in the ending author's notes. However, if there is something that may need explaining, I might need to consent towards doing it. The middle I will keep in mind, but I must apologize since that was a last minute throw together. The third part is true, but you must understand that my time is heavily strained. My free time leaves me with one hour a day to devote to writing the story.

**Akira Stridder: **I'm glad you sympathize with forgotten Tsunami, but don't worry. No brothels in _this _chapter.

**lordofknightmares:** I've just read Art of the Deal and I must say, I won't be going in a similar direction. At least as far as I see the story going.

**nukie:** Thanks for your words.

**DarkChampion:** A little behind in the story, ain't cha? Anyway, I didn't consider that until after it was posted. 

**DarkRavie:** Thanks for the review. Words like that keep me writing.

And so, without further ado, I present to you the next chapter of Oyabun.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 12: Haku's Weakness**

Haku waited patiently on the roof of a bar, being certain to remain quiet. At his side was a slightly taller ninja clad in the most peculiar clothing. A forehead protector of Kirigakure adorned his forehead, with the addition of two metal horns clumsily fused onto the metal. A single gas mask covered most of his face, exposing only his eyes and ruffled hair. His attire consisted of a forest camouflage shirt and pants, over which are a tan vest and a blue cloak. But the most distinguishing feature on the man is a large metal claw on his left hand. The man shifted uncomfortably, unable to contain his anxiety.

Haku sighed, immediately regretting his choice of listening to Gouzu. Not that Haku had any personal dislike towards Gouzo's brother, Meizu, but between the two Mist Demon Brothers, the eldest was clearly the better choice. However, Gouzu had insisted Haku take Meizu instead since the younger brother would benefit the most from the mission. The mission required expert stealth and maneuvering, something the younger brother lacked in. Gouzu had often commented on Meizu's lack of skill in both. In a fight, Meizu's attacks were so fast and clumsy that he usually missed his target or barely scratched them. His aim also needed work since his average was 4 out of 7 kunai. 

In terms of stealth, his disguises were often poorly made or too obvious. On one instance, Meizu chose to disguise himself as an old woman by merely throwing loose fitting clothing on. While this could have easily fooled shinobi with weak intelligence, the gasmask and the giant metal claw protruding out of the left sleeve acted as a dead give away. His transformation jutsu also required improvement. It was not a question of the physical transformation. This was often done to standard for a chunin: A perfect copy. However, these transformations often had dead giveaways: A kunai pouch on the wrong leg or an unusually large left arm were the most the common mistakes.

Haku sighed as Meizu groaned loudly, and politely asked, "What's troubling you?"

"We've been waiting here for hours. What exactly are we looking for?" Meizu complained childishly.

"Patience," Haku replied, "You'll know it when you see it."

"And that is?" Meizu asked sarcastically. He fell on his back with a loud thump. Haku ran a hand through his hair and said, "Just keep watching."

Haku turned his attention away from Meizu, towards the remains of the inn Gatou had mercilessly destroyed not too long ago. No one was harmed during the fire with the exception of the clerk, whom Keitaro had saved by running in, but the inn was unsalvageable. The fire had eaten away at most of the interior, leaving only the frame of the building. Most of the windows and doors had been boarded up by the inn staff, and the building roped off by officials. As Haku understood, Keitaro recently paid a small fortune to the inn's manager and employees as compensation and a temporary pension until the inn could be rebuilt.

The inn was one of Waraji's suspected hideouts according to Eiji. Haku had assigned teams of two to watch the other sites, sending back reports to Gouzu at the end of each day. As of a week, there was still no movement. A light snore escaped Meizu's mouth. Haku's head dropped at the noise, since it reminded Haku of his own fatigue. Still, he could not afford to go to sleep at a time like this. Not when the life of Inari's mother was on the line.

Haku found it odd that he went to such great lengths to save a complete stranger's mother. He hardly knew Inari, yet something inside of him wanted nothing more than to see Inari reunited with her. Thoughts of Inari's mother reminded Haku of his own. Although his memories of her were distant and somewhat cloudy, he easily remembered his mother's unmatched beauty. Perhaps he had inherited those good looks since many often mistook him for a woman. 

To him, his mother was perfection. She always was at his side, for any reason, with the intention of enforcing the proper ideals in him. Granted her methods were questionable, Haku would realize all too late that everything she did was for their protection. Haku and his mother were the last living members of a clan of ninja, infamous for their kekkei genkai. With her dying breath, Haku's mother did everything in her power to protect him.

Haku felt his eyes become misty, blurring his vision, and removed his mask to wipe them. Haku paused in surprise. He looked at the sleeve of his kimono and found them wet with his tears. He blinked and replaced the mask on his face. He was crying? How could it be? Haku had long believed all his tears dried up the day his parents died. Of course, Haku never really minded as Zabuza once taught him that emotion was a fatal flaw in shinobi: A flaw that led to the death of many foolish ninja, particularly kunoichi.

A chill ran down Haku's spine as he considered the meaning behind the tear. Did it mean he was weak? Or was it something more? Zabuza had reinforced the idea that emotion was weakness and nothing more. But what if there was more to it? 

Before he could press the matter further, a loud crash erupted from the ruins below. A crash so loud, it brought Haku out of his train of thought and awoke the sleeping Meizu.

"What happen?" Meizu said dumbly. Haku pushed him down onto his belly and put his finger to his lips, "Quiet."

They turned their attention to a man who crawled out of a hole in the ground. He scanned the immediate area quickly before reaching into the hole and retrieving a young woman with dark blue hair clad in a flowing pink blouse and long blue skirt. Although it was dark, Haku could distinctly make out bruises on her face and arms. Ropes were used to bind her arms and legs. Haku also noted the looseness of her clothes, as if they had been quickly removed and sloppily thrown on.

Haku shuddered to think about what they had done to the poor woman. The man intentionally dropped the woman onto the ground and reached back into the hole to pull out another man. The next man to come out was half naked, clad only in pants and a topless robe that hung around his waist. His hair was fashioned in the most peculiar manner, with a ponytail at the front and back of his head but a small bun of hair at the base of the rear ponytail. IF his features could not be anymore marred, they were: scars decorated his half naked body; dark colored tattoos were clumsily etched into his face as if to hide the all too visible scars. There was one exception: a scar that ran along his left eye was poorly hidden with an eye patch that crisscrossed his face.

Haku reached into his robes and retrieved a picture given to him by Eiji. A quick glance at the picture followed by a comparison told him everything he needed to know. The man below was little more than Waraji. If that was the case, then the woman was Inari's mother.

"Meizu," Haku said calmly to get the man's attention, "That man who just came out, he is out target: Waraji. The other is the bridge builder's daughter."

Meizu nodded in understanding and whispered, "So do we go and rescue her."

"No, we follow them and see where they're going," Haku answered, shaking his head quietly. Meizu cocked his head to the side, "Wouldn't it be faster to just kill him now?"

"We can't afford that. There may be more of them than we can see," Haku explained, "It would be better to watch and wait."

Meizu groaned, quietly moaning about a lack of fighting. Haku silently agreed, wanting nothing more than to rush in and rescue the woman, but he knew he shouldn't. It would be better to follow them and see where they went. As Zabuza had once taught him, a frontal assault only ended in failure. It was always better to watch and wait, allowing the enemy to make the mistakes.

Waraji reached down and carried Inari's mother in his arms, walking quietly down the street with his goon in tow. Haku and Meizu followed swiftly yet quietly, staying in the shadows so as not to arouse Waraji's attention but close enough so Waraji didn't disappear. They followed with all the grace a cat silently stalking its prey.

After some distance, Haku and Meizu arrived at the docks. In the streets below Waraji and his companion were leaning against the dock walls, quietly moving crates aside to reveal an opening in the wall. The slipped through the opening and into the docks, racing into a nearby building with a sign hanging over a large door: WAREHOUSE 27.

Beneath it was a damage sign reading: GA…U…OR…RA…ON

Where there were blanks in the signs, were the vague silhouettes of the letters: TO, C, PO, TI.

Haku reread the sign before turning to Meizu, "Stay here, I'm going to go notify Na…Boss Kitsune."

"What am I supposed to do?" Meizu gritted his teeth. Haku shrugged and calmly said, "Keep an eye on the building. I'll notify your brother so he can keep you company."

"But-" Meizu tried to protest. Haku, however, had already raced away. Haku performed several hand signs and a mass of water formed beside him, turning into an exact copy of Haku. Without so much as a word, the two Haku's raced off in two different directions.

Naruto stirred early that morning, quickly wishing he didn't. The past week had taught him the difficulties of being a Syndicate leader. Although the public at large believed Eiji was the leader of the gang, all the responsibility fell back on Naruto. Such was the case concerning a store owner under the gang's protection. The store had been robbed by a local gang of hoods and was unable to pay its tribute. Eiji relayed the message to Naruto who ordered the hoods be taught a lesson in respect.

Eiji obeyed and dispatched two men to confront the troublemakers. The troublemakers weren't killed but beaten to an extent as a warning from the Kitsune Syndicate: Troublemakers and hoodlums will not be tolerated. What should have ended there quickly spiraled out of control. Friends and relatives of the hoodlums approached another gang leader requesting retribution. Needless to say, Naruto was outraged at this revelation. What family would avenge troublemakers and hoods?

The boys had squandered their futures for a life of crime. What would retribution bring them? Nothing It reminded Naruto all too well of his childhood in Konoha. The kids would often bully Naruto when he was younger. They did everything from name calling to out right stealing. Naruto often tried to defend himself in these instances, which often turned into a childish squabble with hair pulling, biting and kicking.

If any of these kids were hurt with the usual scrapes, they ran crying to their mothers complaining about a bully. Mothers often went to their husbands and a swift retaliation often followed. These fathers knew it was low for adults to openly confront a child so instead, they made Naruto's life miserable any other way. Prices at stores always seemed to jump whenever he went shopping for clothes, if the store did business at all. Naruto often return to his apartment only to find it defaced with graffiti or ransacked. Others went so far as too simply ignore Naruto's presence. It reached the point where Naruto almost gave up on defending himself when kids gave him a hard time. 

Not this time, however. Naruto ordered Eiji to make it clear that the Kitsune would destroy anyone who stood in their way, and to issue an ultimatum: Drop the vendetta or face annihilation.

The gang, called the Watari Syndicate, retaliated by killing two members of Eiji's regime as they were eating a bowl of ramen. Eiji was enraged at the foolhardiness of the assassination, specifically because those two were his friends, and responded by raiding the Watari's businesses. These two actions started the Land of Waves War.

It was a long, annoying process which required a lot of Naruto's attention. Everyday, Haku would deliver paperwork for Eiji concerning every move the Watari made and every counter measure/ retaliation Eiji took. The many papers had exhausted Naruto, and had spent most of last night reviewing all the papers Haku had given him. A quick glance at his clock told Naruto he had only slept for an hour.

As the room slowly faded into view, he heard the disturbance that awoke him: a loud knocking noise that echoed loudly throughout the basement. Leaving his thoughts behind, Naruto arose from his bed and climbed stairs to the first floor where Keitaro lay face down on the table with a bottle of sake at hand. A mountain of papers lay on the table, stacks which could easily have reached the ceiling if combined into one pile. Boxes filled with papers lined the floor, one in particular labeled: GATOU CORPORATION FILED IMPORTS. Naruto blinked, immediately pitying Keitaro who was obviously stretched thin. A loud snort came from Keitaro, followed by a light mumble.

He heard the knocking noise again, coming from the front door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Naruto said, opening the door. Normally, Naruto would have been more cautious with the front door. Especially since he was supposed to be dead, but since most of the villagers assumed no one actually lived in this _shack_, no one actually came at the door unless it was Haku. To no surprise, Haku was waiting patiently on the other side, "I'm sorry if I awoke you, Naruto."

Naruto shook his head and let Haku in, being sure to close the door quietly to avoid waking Keitaro. Naruto put his finger to his lips and pointed from Keitaro to the open trap door. Haku nodded in understanding and tip toed downstairs with Naruto in tow. Naruto covered his mouth as he yawned. Keitaro, still fast asleep, quietly mumbled, "Wi…oo…marr…me."

Naruto clambered down the stairs and shut the door to his room so Keitaro wouldn't hear them. With a quick turn of the lock, he closed them in and faced Haku.

"What's going on?" Naruto mumbled, covering his mouth to hide another tired yawn. Whatever it was had to be important, it was too early in the morning for anything menial. Naruto also didn't want to hear anything regarding the gang war.

Haku lifted his mask to reveal a genuine smile. It was not the blank, empty, calm smile that Haku often wore upon his face to hide emotion. It was a true, genuine, happy smile. One that made Naruto extremely uncomfortable, especially since the smile made Haku's already girlish appearance appear more feminine, "We found Inari's mother and Waraji. They've been hiding under the inn and just moved to Warehouse 27 at the docks."

For a brief moment, a smile cracked itself on Naruto's face. Finally, things made a turn for the better. But it was still too early for celebrations. There was no room for celebrations until he knew Inari's mother was safe and reunited with her only son. He tried to don his serious face but couldn't mask his own happiness. Defeated, Naruto happily said, "That's great!"

"So what do we do?" Haku asked with equal cheeriness.

"Let's not get hasty for starters," Naruto said, killing the cheerful mood almost immediately, "We'll take this one step at a time." 

"But…but, we know where she is," Haku protested, lifting his mask to reveal an aggravated face, "Why don't we go rescue her now?"

Naruto was taken aback by Haku's sudden protest. It was unlike him, the gentle demeanor Haku often wore. Naruto found it a frightening prospect, but calmly said, "We cannot afford any mistakes. If we rush in, it could be disastrous."

Haku blinked, his face slowly relaxing, "I'm…I'm sorry. I was out of line."

"It's alright," Naruto answered forgivingly, "Send a message to Eiji to meet us at that ramen bar near the center of the town around noon. And tell him to come alone."

"Of course," Haku answered, "Should I bring Inari too?"

Naruto nodded, "I don't see why not. The boy's mother is involved. I'm sure he would like to be at a meeting to plan her rescue."

"Very well," Haku bowed as low as he could before dissolving into water. Naruto took several steps back to avoid the liquid as it crashed onto the floor, forming a puddle on the mossy wooden floor. Naruto groaned, "Great, a Mizu Bunshin."

He reached into his dresser and dropped a towel onto the floor. After wiping the floor, Naruto discarded the towel into a basket set aside for his laundry and collapsed on his bed. Naruto collapsed onto his bed and tried to sleep but was unable to do so. And how could he sleep, knowing how close he was to rescuing Inari's mother? He wanted to go and rescue her himself but knew better. He was still _technically_ dead and he knew little about Waraji's own abilities. It would a fool's errand to rush into danger so stupidly.

As he formulized a way to rescue Inari's mother, he slowly drifted to sleep.

Later that day, Naruto sat quietly in the ramen bar clad in his blue cloak and rice hat. Tied to his waist was his crimson katana, Kitsune, which Naruto held firmly in his left hand. The action seemed more subconscious than intended. It was, after all, nothing more than a katana. There were many more like it in the world, but Naruto found himself exceptionally attached to this one for some reason. A strange complex which Naruto feared he would never overcome.

The bar was full of the aroma of ramen from beef to pork. The cook was behind the counter fiddling away with vegetables and meet, along with a pot of boiling water. He turned to Naruto after tossing all the ingredients into the water and calmly asked, "What'll it be?"

"Shrimp ramen," Naruto answered. The man nodded and went back to the pot. Minutes later, the man set the bowl down on the counter. He didn't know what it was about ramen that relaxed him so much. Maybe it was the alluring scent, or the wonderful variety of flavors. Either way, Naruto made the contents of the bowl vanish almost immediately. 

"Wow, you sure eat fast don't ya?" the cook said jokingly, "Do you want seconds?"

"Please," Naruto said. The cook laughed and refilled the bowl, "That's a new recipe I've been working on for a while now. You don't mind being the first person to try it, do you?"

Naruto shook his head and laughed cheerily, "ITADAKIMASU!"

"Hello," Haku said as he entered the bar. Beside him was Inari, clad in a white shirt and black shorts. As Inari took his seat beside Naruto, the blonde could feel the fear emanating off of the boy. Naruto shrugged it off. Inari was shaking furiously, a glazed look in his red eyes. Naruto patted the boy on the back and whispered, "Why don't you have some ramen?"

Inari looked at him fearfully, as if the boy expected Naruto to do something terrible. Naruto chuckled, "If I was going to hurt you, wouldn't I have done it by now?"

Inari gulped loudly and quietly mumbled, "I'll have the pork ramen."

Naruto smiled and turned his attention to Haku. What Naruto saw almost made him drop his chop sticks. Instead of wearing his usual mask, Haku was wearing a fox mask. Naruto blinked and rubbed his eyes to be sure he wasn't hallucinating. Once he was sure it wasn't a product of his mind, he asked, "Are you wearing a fox mask?"

"Do you like it?" Haku asked. Naruto's eyebrow shot up.

"Yes?" he said, sounding more like a question than an answer. Haku lifted the mask and smiled, "I thought it fit the present situation."

Naruto tilted his head to the side. He appreciated Haku's intentions but found it excessively creepy. Still, as Naruto recalled Haku was the one who adorned himself in woman's clothing so changing his mask shouldn't have been at all disturbing. Silence consumed the three as they quietly ate their ramen until Eiji joined them several minutes later.

As opposed to their last meeting, Eiji had fixed his suit so it would appear more formal instead of messy. Naruto looked Eiji over and noticed a black fox tattooed to his neck. Naruto blinked and found it all too annoying. First a fox mask and a fox tattoo. Granted the group was called the Kitsune Syndicate, was it really necessary? Was some divine, all powerful being trying to send him a message with all the foxes?

Naruto mulled it over for a second. Foxes were famous for being mischievous creatures, transforming into women at will to dispense suffering on any male who chose to the play the fool. They were, by design, intelligent beings known all too well for their cunning. They were also known as servants to a divine kami who dispensed justice as he saw fit. Other times, they were benefactors for the needy, generously giving money to the less fortunate. As benevolent as tese ideas were, Naruto had to shake his head. After all, it could be little more than the delusions of an idle mind.

"How are you Boss Kitsune?" Eiji said upon entering. The cook stiffened at the sound of those words and turned to face Naruto, "Bo…Boss Kitsune?"

A small grin drew itself on his face, "This is a joke…right?"

Eiji gave the man a cold stare which was answer enough. Naruto saw the look of fear in his eyes, surprised to see the name inspired fear. The cook quickly went back to his cooking.

"May I ask a favor?" Naruto said carefully. The cook looked from Naruto to Haku to Eiji before saying, "Sure."

"I would like to use the back room, if that's okay with you," Naruto asked, trying to don a calm, collected tone. The cook nodded, "Sure."

The cook reached underneath the counter and retrieved a set of keys, while Haku slurped his ramen rather loudly. After sifting through the keys for several minutes, he went to the back of the bar and unlocked a door. He opened it, leaving the door jar so Haku and Inari would have time to finish their ramen. Once they finished, Eiji left several 100 ryou bills on the counter and they filed into the back room. Naruto went in last, politely saying, 'Thank you."

The back room was larger than the safe house, and slightly cleaner. There were several crates stacked around the walls. A round table sat quietly in the center with a small lamp illuminating the room from the ceiling. Naruto took a seat first, followed by Haku, Eiji and then Inari. The room became rather quiet, until Eiji broke the silence, "Boss Kitsune, I was hoping we could address some complaints our clientele are giving us regarding the Watari."

Naruto shook his head, "Later. We have more pressing issues to address."

"But-"

"Eiji," Naruto commanded, "We'll address the Watari once we're in a more private atmosphere."

"Fine," Eiji grumbled, leaning back n his chair. Naruto turned to Haku and began, "So, are there any new developments?"

"No new movements," Haku answered, "But we estimate roughly ten or twelve guards. Waraji is holed up in a complex below Warehouse 27."

Inari looked at Haku when heard Waraji's name. A hopeful glint appeared in his eye, followed by a small grin.

"Gatou used those to stockpile a lot of supply so he could monopolize the trafficking industry by raising the prices. There's also a private bunker there he used as a secret safehouse. Not even the Kuroihi know it's there," Eiji explained.

"Have you been in it?" Naruto inquired.

"Yeah," Eiji answered. Naruto kept that in the back of his mind. Eiji had knowledge of the complex so he would be an important asset to the rescue. Naruto looked at Haku, "Whose watching the warehouse right now?"

"The Demon Brothers," Haku said. Quietly, Inari asked, "Do you know where my mother is?"

Naruto looked at Inari. No one had mentioned Inari's mother yet but he had already jumped to that conclusion. He was either very bright or very lucky, a very important trait to have. Naruto nodded at patted Inari on the head, "You're smarter than you look."

"You know where my mother is? Where is she!?" Inari demanded, getting up of his chair. Naruto put his hand on Haku's shoulder and forced him back into his chair. The ease with which Naruto did this told him either Inari was scared of him or Inari didn't have the physical strength to combat Naruto. The latter was more likely and, if true, proved there was more to Inari than met the eye. As coolly as he could, Naruto said, "Sit."

Naruto must have had some domineering presence over them, since the room fell quiet when he ordered Inari to sit. As if everyone present expected inari to die at that moment. It wasn't that Naruto was mad at Inari, in fact Naruto had nothing but respect for the boy. Anyone who had the ability to remain unfazed by being a hostage was easily worthy of respect. Once Inari had settled down, Naruto turned to Eiji and Haku. To Naruto's surprise, Haku had risen out of his chair. In his hand was a kunai which he held dangerously. Haku concealed the kunai and sank back into his chair slowly, letting out a relzed sigh.

"So, Eiji," Naruto continued, "What would be the best course of action."

Eiji ran a hand through his hair, 'Well, the complex is very small with sharp corners. Too many people could block it up real quick. Your best bet would be to get four guys together, one of them needs to be intimately familiar with the facility."

"The four of us," Naruto said. He was met with confused looks accompanied with the same, "What!?"

Naruto sighed and explained, "Eiji is the only one intimately familiar with the complex, Haku is the most skilled in combat, and I'm sure Inari here really wants to see his mother."

Silence filled the room, a silence born out of silent agreement. No words needed to be uttered as they each had a mutual understanding. Naruto rose from his chair and said, with a commanding air, "We make our move tonight."

**Author's Note: **The rescue begins in the next chapter. Will Inari's mother be saved? Or not? Find out on the next chapter on Oyabun, appearing on firday April 4th. If you loved the chapter, drop a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and speculations about the next chapter. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	13. The Massacre of Warehouse 27 Part 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates.

**Author's Notes: **I admit, the last chapter did better than I hoped it would and for that, I say thank you to everyone kind enough to leave a review. Seriously, thanks, I owe you guys for that. I really wanted this chapter to be better, but life has a funny sense of humor. I spent a lot of time bogged down in projects/assignments and didn't even get a chance to spend the time I felt this chapter deserved. I didn't even have enough time to reread it. Please forgive the poor quality of this last minute throw together.

Now, as I always have and will, I'd like to respond to the reviewers:

**Akira Stridder: **This is just a question, but do you want Tsunami to work in a brothel? Don't get me wrong, but you appear to be fixated on it. Not that it's in bad taste. Maybe Naruto will hire her? Not as a _pleasurer of men_, mind you, but as something else?

**Avatarofrage: **I must say, this is probably your best review yet. It mixes criticism with speculation into a delicious fruity mix. Anyway, Meizu wasn't really intended to go anywhere. I'm not sure what I'll do with him yet. As for Inari, I wanted to set him up as a mirror for Naruto if you catch my drift. As for Haku, he might have something similar to a midlife crisis really soon. I'd also like to thank you for noticing all the screw ups with the last chapter. It was very rushed, I'm sad to say, so thanks.

**Peter Kim: **Still using anonymity, eh? I am a little shocked with how 294, 295 and 296 have played out. Personally, I wanted them to kill each other in an orgy of violence. As for the other syndicates…stop now while you're ahead. I know you're just speculating, but you're getting really close to ruining the story.

**Lordofknightmares: **Yakuza gang wars are bloody and tend to be fought on multiple levels and fronts. Trust me: it won't end with Kitsune vs. Watari.

**DarkRavie: **Thanks for the review. It really helps me write this thing to know people are looking forwards to the next chapter.

**Crimsonkyuubi: **Grazie. Words like that really keep me writing. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Fan: **Thanks for your review. I'm happy that my story went into your bookmarks and I'm glad you liked it.

**Lord of the Trees: **As I've said before, Hinata…may…become important as either a love interest or a business partner. At this point, it can go either way because I'm still counting benefits for both. Naruto may learn chakra techniques from certain swordsmen and shinobi. You'll have to read and find out. ;)

**shadowiscool28:** FINALLY! I'm glad someone at least remembers good ol' Keitaro. But don't worry, we'll see more of him in another story arc that follows this one.

**Madkilt: **Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. The Kitsune Syndicate manages a protection in and around the docks as well as two gambling ventures. The Demon Brothers are really more of a foot note at this point. Don't worry though, all good things come in due time.

**Intelligo: **I'm glad you liked the chapter, but don't worry. You're concerns for Tsunami are gracious, but don't worry. I have no intention of harming her.

That's all for now so without further delay, I present to you the next chapter of Oyabun:

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 12: The Massacre of Warehouse 27 (Part 1)**

A small dim light was all that lit up the guard house resting by the gate into the docks. Sitting inside were two guards patiently awaiting the end of their shift. The oldest of the two guards sat quietly by the window, killing time by filling out order forms, filing memos, and making copies of the sign-in list. The other occupied himself with a copy of an orange book entitled: Icha Icha Paradise. The guard let out a small chuckle every five or so minutes, as he flipped through the pages of his book, prompting the other guard to ask, "Is it any good?"

"Hmm?"

"That book."

"Heh...when you're older, rookie," the guard said jokingly.

"Rookie?" the older guard scowled, "I'm older than you by two years and have been working here longer!"

"I wasn't talking about work," the younger guard said. The older one rolled his eyes, understanding his companion's reference, and returned to his paperwork. Just as he picked up his pen, he noticed a feather slowly fall onto his desk. He picked up the feather, wondering where it had fallen from. He glanced to the ceiling of the guard house, searching for some crack or opening which the feather could have slipped through.

He then inspected the windows, finding none of them open. He let out a small yawn and turned to his companion only to find the young guard fast asleep. He rolled his eyes and let out another yawn. Another feather appeared before his eyes, followed slowly by another.

"I need a drink," he concluded, dismissing the phenomenon as nothing more than a delusion caused fatigue and reached for a bottle of sake. He let out another yawn and brought the bottle to his lips. After several gulps of the amber liquid, he lowered the bottle and went back to his paperwork, doing his best to ignore the heavy feeling in his eyes. Several minutes went by in silence, accompanied only by his partner's hushed snoring.

Eventually, the guard decided to join his partner and took another swig of the amber liquid. It wasn't as if anything would happen if he fell asleep. This was the graveyard shift, where nothing of importance _ever_ happened. Besides, a little nap couldn't hurt. He laid his head on his desk and closed his eyes, falling asleep in a matter of seconds.

……………

Naruto nodded approvingly of Haku's handiwork. A simple genjutsu was all Haku needed to put the two guards to rest. Still, the next part would be the most disgusting part of the entire rescue, but was unavoidable. Naruto walked up to the door and turned the door knob only to find it was locked. He sighed and drew Kitsune out of its scabbard, using it to smash the window of the guard house. He climbed inside and glanced around. One guard had fallen asleep with a copy of Icha Icha Paradise in hand while the other rested his head on a desk holding a bottle of sake.

Naruto eyed the two guards before tip-toeing to the oldest of the two and quickly undoing the buttons on the uniform and removing it. Naruto then undid the button and fly to the pants, sliding it off the man's legs. As the pants came off, a putrid smell filled Naruto's nostrils that caused him to cough. After the uniform was off the guard, he reached for the shoes and quickly undid the laces. Once that job was accomplished, he placed the shoes with the other clothes and retrieved a pair of hand cuffs from within the guard's belt. With the guard stripped of everything except his underwear, Naruto moved the sleeping guards onto the floor so no one passing by would see them.

Stepping back to admire his work, he checked through the clothes to be sure he had everything before slapping himself in the head. He started looking through all the drawers and papers for a set of keys needed to unlock the warehouse doors. After searching produced no results, Naruto let out a soft groan, "It's not here."

"_Naruto what's going on?_" Haku's voice said from a small radio in Naruto's pocket, "_You're taking too much time._"

Naruto retrieved the radio from his pocket and responded, "I can't find where the guards put the keys."

"_I see_," he answered, "_Do you want me to move ahead with step 2?_"

"Go ahead," Naruto bit his lip after checking the drawers again failed to produce a key, "But don't go ahead with step 3 until I give the order."

"_I understand_," Haku answered. The radio went silent with static. Naruto combed through the entire guard house and collapsed onto the chair after giving up, "Where is it?"

Naruto's eyes sank down to the floor where he saw the two sleeping guards, one half naked. The blonde's eyes wandered to the dressed guard and saw a key hanging from a chain connected to his belt. Naruto let out a snicker at his stupidity and ripped the key ring off.

With his job done, Naruto leapt out of the building and walked across the street into a dark alley where two people awaited his return.

Once in the alley, Naruto's eyes adjusted to the darkness so he could make out Inari and Eiji's figures. Naruto passed the uniform to Eiji and turned to Inari, "When we get inside, stay out of sight until we get you. Understand?"

Inari nodded.

"Good, and whatever happens," Naruto continued, "Don't get killed."

These words struck a chord in Inari's young mind. True enough; the youth had witnessed the death of his _de facto_ father. Even truer, Inari had almost died because of some local bullies who tried to take his dog for their own. These kids were troublemakers whose families' combined wealth could not afford a dog, let alone sustain three families.

These kids were part of a local gang of ruffians and hooligans so their behavior was more or less expected, if unacceptable. Still, even though they put Inari's life in danger they made no effort to remedy the situation by saving him, instead choosing to chase after Inari's pet dog. If that was the case, wouldn't Naruto and Eiji do the same thing?

How far would they go to keep Inari alive? Could Inari even trust them. True, they were making every effort to save his mother, but was it a sincere effort or was it for their own twisted gains?

Naruto performed the necessary hand signs to perform a transformation. He transformed into an older version of himself. This new appearance was similar to Naruto in every likeness with the exception of the lack of whisker marks on his cheek and an increase in the length of his already messy hair. Naturally, Naruto put himself in a guard's uniform to deter any unwanted attention.

Curiously though, Naruto's transformation did not hide the scar Sasuke had given not too long ago. What made it stranger was Naruto had wanted the scar to disappear as a part of his transformation. Was it subconscious? Did Naruto actually want the scar to show? He couldn't think of a reason in which he would have wanted it to stay. Maybe he just did the jutsu wrong since he had difficulty with the jutsu in the past.

A grunt from the side told Naruto that Eiji was having difficulty with the belt to his attire. Naruto held back a snicker, but found his attitude changed when Inari asked, "How did you do that? Are you some kind of ninja?"

Naruto shot Inari a dirty look. Perhaps if Inari had said that under different circumstances, Naruto would have reacted in a more cheerful manner. But any chance for those circumstances to happen disappeared. Maybe it was fate, the will of an all powerful being, or a divine fluke, a miraculous prank. In either case, Naruto didn't care. There was little hope for Naruto to ascend the ranks as a ninja in any village. After all, wasn't he a 'deceased' S-rank criminal?

Naruto pushed the thought aside and reached into his pocket for the handcuffs he acquired earlier. When Inari saw the item in Naruto's hand, his eyes widened in suprise. In a hurried tone, Inari sputtered out, "Is this a joke?"

Naruto shook his head and fastened it on Inari's wrists. He tightened the cuffs so Inari couldn't slide his hand out of it, even though it was obvious that his hands were too small for it in the first place. But it wasn't as if handcuffs were made specifically for kids so this would have to do.

Naruto, Eiji and Inari quietly walked across the street and past the entrance into the docks. At this particular time of night, all the lights were on so the workers could see as clear as day. Eiji led the way through the many crates, barrels and machinery with Naruto and Inari in tow. The lighting cast creeping shadows along the wall that appeared to stalk their little group.

They had only gone past the first garage when a patrolman passing by saw their little group, "Let me guess, the kid tried to break in?"

"Yeah," Naruto answered. He felt Inari give him a cold and confused stare. The guard nodded and walked away, whistling to himself quietly.

……………

The further in they went, the more workers they found busy with various tasks from moving logging shipment records to transferring supplies on and off ships. A foghorn went off somewhere in the distance followed by shouts from some workers concerning a freighter arriving earlier than scheduled and needing to dock due to low fuel.

Some workers were on their break, trying to stay awake with coffee and alcohol. One of the workers brought up the curious topic of the extortion and softly complained, "I had to give my sister 1,000 ryou the other day so she could pay her store's tribute to those god forsaken yakuza."

One of his companions gritted his teeth and said, "You're not supposed to say that word. You'll jinx us all!"

"Oh please," was the retort, "That's just a silly superstition. Besides, those flunkies jacked up the prices so they could fund their stupid war."

"Wait, there's a war going on?" another asked.

"You didn't know? Remember those two guys who were stabbed to death about a week ago at that diner? You know, the two who were killed before they even got their drinks?"

"Yeah, I heard about that."

"Those two were part of that Kitsune Clan. As you can imagine, they were the friends of the Oyabun and boy was he pissed. That's why half of the businesses on the northern part of the village were closed. They say he's got the feudal lord in his pocket."

Naruto rolled his eyes and exchanged a mocking glance with Eiji. They both snickered quietly as they walked away from the workers.

"Now you're just making stuff up!"

"No, it's true. I also heard he ha-"

They conversation came to an end when a foreman scolded them for discussing the topic at work, accompanied with a threat to fire them. Upon hearing these _magic _words, the workers pleaded for the foreman's forgiveness. Naruto wasn't able to hear the foreman's answer since their group turned a corner into a dark alley.

The alley led straight to a small door marked: WAREHOUSE 27 – SECURITY ENTRANCE.

Naruto passed the key ring to Eiji, who immediately opened the door to allow Naruto and Inari entrance. Once they were all inside, Eiji gave the keys back to Naruto, who released the transformation jutsu.

"Inari," Naruto called quietly, flipping through each of the keys, "Come here."

Inari stepped forward, a troubled look on his face, "Y…yes?"

"Here," Naruto said. He started using keys at random until finally he removed the handcuffs on Inari's wrists, "There we go."

Naruto pocketed the handcuffs and decided to take in his surroundings. The inside was dark, with lamps overhead in the rafter dimly lighting the expanse of the warehouse. Mountains of crates and barrels were piled high into the air, vaguely resembling a mountain. Many of the boxes contained damaged labels, yet the ones that were untouched read: GATOU CORPORATION

They had just gone a few paces into the warehouse, when Haku descended before them. He landed with all the grace of a cat falling from a great height. He landed softly, which was quite the feat considering he still had Zabuza's large sword strapped to his back. Even Zabuza, the more accomplished ninja between the two, was not so nimble.

Still, that could not compare to the rest of the surprises Haku had in store. A thick red liquid was splashed along Haku's sword, dripping a puddle onto the ground. Slung over Haku's shoulder was a limp body, an unconscious man, adorned in black slacks and a white business shirt. Over this, he wore a blue coat leisure coat with what appeared to be a handkerchief sticking out of the breast pocket. As Haku drew closer, Naruto felt Inari latch himself onto his pants. Inari's grip tightened on his orange pants as Haku dropped the body onto the floor.

"Who's that?" Naruto asked as Haku dropped the body onto the floor.

"Kyosuke, a shatei in the Watari," Haku answered. The new development was surprising. Why would the Watari be here of all places? The most obvious choice was a partnership between Waraji's gang and the Watari. Naruto didn't want to believe it though, hoping it was nothing more than a coincidence. That couldn't be the case though, since Waraji had nothing to offer the Watari except for…Naruto groaned.

Eiji, however didn't groan. Instead he grabbed Haku by the shoulders, and pinned him to the wall. Naruto jerked back, surprised by Eiji's sudden outburst. With a lethal tone, Eiji growled, "This better be a joke."

Haku shook his head, calmly saying, "I wish it were. In all, there were nine of them. When this man realized his comrades had fallen, he tried to escape through the fire exit. I learned his name and the name of his employer but he fainted before he could say anything."

"Those sons of-" Eiji growled dangerously, raising his fist. Naruto quickly realized what was about to happen and looked at Haku. For some strange reason, Haku appeared to be making no effort to stop Eiji. Eiji's fist came crashing down and Naruto, fearful of the outcome, shouted, "EIJI!"

Eiji's fist stopped mere inches from Haku's mask. It was so close that the hairs of Eiji's knuckles were grazing the tip of Haku's mask. He released Haku and took several steps back. Naruto walked over to Eiji and said, "What do you think you're doing? I know you're mad at the Watari, but now is not the time for fighting, especially if it's your comrade!"

These words surprised even Naruto, who had taken a more paternal tone on Eiji. If anything, it sounded like a parent scolding a child. Even worse, it was the child scolding the adult. The situation seemed particularly odd to Naruto since he was often scolded in Konoha for the many pranks he pulled from defacing the Hokage stone faces to rigging booby traps for his professor. Although from the other side of the scolding Naruto could see why it happened every time he did something wrong. It was an adrenaline rush to have that sense of superiority over another human being.

Still, Naruto couldn't allow himself to get excited. As quietly and as calmly as he could, he said, "Apologize to Haku."

"I apologize…Haku," Eiji said, looking away from the group, "The entrance into the underground bunker is this way."

Eiji led the way with the rest of the group following behind distantly, as if he had some lethal disease. After the reached the center of the warehouse, Eiji kneeled down and pulled on a small ring in the floor. With a great heave, he pulled open a door that revealed a dimly lit, steel stair case. Eiji went in first, placing his hand against a wall that was illuminated only by candles. Naruto went in second, with Inari in third while Haku stayed in the rear.

At the bottom of the stairs was a well lit, hallway made entirely out of stone. The walls were covered in a gray moss that clearly thrived in the dank conditions underground. It branched off into two different directions, perpendicular to the stairwell, about fifteen feet down. Strange, garbled noises that vaguely resembled laughter and screaming echoed around them from all directions Eiji motioned for everyone to follow him and quietly whispered, "These hallways were designed to echo loudly so that intruders could be easily detected. If we want to maintain stealth we're going to need to be quiet, alright?"

They all nodded in silent agreement.

"Okay," Eiji whispered. He took the lead again and tiptoed down the hall. Curiously, even though Eiji made it sound as if security would be tighter, Naruto couldn't help but notice how strangely vacant the hallways were. They had gone about thirty meters without encountering so much as a single guard. It was as if the entire bunker had been completely abandoned. But the further they went, the laughter and screaming became louder and clearer. Words were easy to pick up, like: please, no, stop, etc. The tone also became more decipherable, one of them having feminine qualities.

They turned what Eiji said was the last corner before they reached Gatou's make shift office only to find a sight so shocking that Naruto was forced to cover Inari's eyes with his hands. Blood covered the next ten meters of hallway, staining the walls and ceiling a dark red. The blood pooled on the floor, around the bodies of what could have been between five and eight men. An exact number could not be placed since the limbs had been removed from the torso and the heads destroyed. The door at the end of the hallway had the corpse of a man pinned to it by a ninjato through his chest. Blood ran out of his mouth like water from a fountain. It was sickening.

Whoever these men were, they had been guarding that door. Whoever killed them was definitely in the room and was not one to be taken lightly. The voices were louder than ever before now and easily understood.

"No! Please, don't! I'll give you whatever you want!" pleaded the first voice.

"SHUT UP! A dog like you doesn't deserve to live!" A second barked. A loud crashing noise was heard from beyond door.

"Please! Take the woman! You can have her! She's useless to me! Just take her and let me live! I don't want to die!" the first said, more pleadingly.

"SILENCE! You'll speak when spoken to!" the second voice said threateningly, "Don't worry my sweet; you shall soon be all mine!"

"I'd rather die!" said a feminine voice.

"MOTHER!" Inari cried upon hearing the voice. Before anyone could do anything, Inari tore past Naruto and raced straight towards the door. Naruto was shocked to see Inari didn't notice the carnage that was the mutilated bodies or the corpse hanging from the door. In fact, Inari seemed too fixated on his mother to notice. Still, Naruto needed to stop the boy.

"Inari wait!" Naruto said, one second too late. Inari had already thrown the door open and ran inside.

……………

**Author's Note: **Has Inari jeopardized the rescue? Who mercilessly slaughtered these men? Find out this and more on the next of Oyabun, appearing on Friday April 18th. If you loved the chapter, drop a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and speculations about the next chapter. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	14. The Massacre of Warehouse 27 Part 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 14: The Massacre of Warehouse 27 (Part 2)**

"Inari wait!" Naruto said, one second too late. Inari had already thrown the door open and ran inside. As the door closed behind Inari, a blood-curdling scream echoed from inside.

"That idiot!" Naruto growled. He explicitly ordered Inari not to get himself killed and the kid still ran in. Still, nothing could help it now. Naruto pushed his way past Eiji and charged into the room with _Kitsune_ in his hand.

Inside, Naruto found a dumbstruck Inari on his knees with his mouth gaping wide open with fearful eyes. Holding him close was a young woman with long, dark hair that fell to her back. Her clothes, consisting of a pink blouse and a blue skirt, were torn and stained brown and red with her blood. The blouse, especially, seemed to have been stretched and pulled unnecessarily as if someone had consistently removed and replaced it. She was covered in cuts, bruises, and dirt.

Her tearful eyes were on Inari, whom she was holding comfortingly, "You're alright! Thank heaven, you're alright! They said you were dead! Oh thank goodness!"

Inari returned the embrace and quietly sobbed, "Mother…"

Naruto couldn't help but smile for them, the reunited mother and son. There was obvious affection in their relationship, as Inari and his mother held each other in this embrace for some time. Unfortunately, a horrified scream killed the moment and Naruto's attention away from the two.

He looked to the source of the scream to see Eiji and Haku standing in front of him. In the back of the room, behind a wooden desk covered in papers and trays, stood a pale skinned man with dark greased-back hair. A thick goatee grew around his open mouth which revealed several golden teeth, if not rotting teeth. He was adorned in brown khakis and a white business shirt covered in an open gray vest.

In his hand he held an uchigatana which was half-way through the chest of Waraji, or so it seemed. The blade missed Waraji all together, instead going between his arm and torso so that it was just below his armpit. What was truly troubling was the fact that Waraji appeared to have fainted standing up. As far as Naruto could tell, the only thing supporting his weight was the man's blade.

The man scratched his head and said, "Well, this was certainly unexpected. He passed out in fear."

His eyes slid down Waraji's frame, "And made quite the mess…"

Now that the man mentioned it, Naruto was able to detect some hint of a foul smell circulating in the air. He quickly covered his nose and thought, _What kind of bandit does that?_ With some effort, the man lowered his weapon so that Waraji slowly slid to the floor. He cast a side glance at Naruto, Haku and Eiji before shrugging, "So, who are you?"

"We were going to ask you the same question," Naruto answered, while Inari and his mother retreated into a corner. He stepped forward so that he stood between Inari and his mother, and the strange man. Naruto then raised _Kitsune_ in the air, pointing it directly at the man. He let out a chilling laugh and said, "Oh I get it…you're playing the hero."

A small squeak escaped Inari's mouth. Naruto looked back at the two, who were watching the scene before them intently, and decided to hold his ground. He could not allow the man near this two, especially after their so recent reunion.

"Look, I don't want to hurt anyone. I just want the bridge builder's kin, okay?" the man said with a matter of fact tone. A small squeak escaped Inari's mother. The man tried to step towards the reunited family, but stopped in his tracks when Naruto held Kitsune's blade to the man's throat. Haku also had Zabuza's sword drawn wile Eiji was still pulling his katana out of its scabbard, granted he was behind Naruto.

The man let out a snort and pushed Naruto's blade aside with his finger. Naruto held his ground and pointed _Kitsune _back at the man, exactly as Hashi-sensei had instructed him to hold it. The man scoffed, "Look, I don't know what you want. Whatever it is, we can reason it out after my job here is done."

"No, you're not getting your hands on either of them," Naruto warned. The man laughed and pulled his katana out of Waraji's corpse. The man retrieved a stone from his pocket and ran it along the edge of the blade, creating an ear splitting scratching noise. The noise of stone scraping on metal made everyone in the room with the exception of Haku and the sword's wielder cringe.

With a carefree tone, the man said, "You'll have to forgive me, that filth behind me dulled my uchigatana. So, may I ask what the cause of this disagreement is?"

"We will not allow harm to come to the bridge builder's family," Haku said dangerously. Naruto shot him a surprised look. He had never heard Haku use that tone before. He recalled Haku once saying he only ever killed when Zabuza demanded it or if it was absolutely necessary to protect Zabuza. Neither was the case, so what was his motive?

Was the man a past acquaintance? Not likely. Haku spent his entire life with Zabuza. According to Haku, everyone who openly opposed them had always fallen to Zabuza's blade, with the exception of the Mizukage. If this was true, then this man would clearly have been eliminated by Zabuza.

What other reason was there? To protect someone? Himself maybe? Not likely. The man presented little threat to Naruto at the moment so there was no reason for Haku to get aggressive. Unless, Haku was defending Inari and his mother, but why Haku do such a thing for them?

What had they done? Haku hardly knew either Inari or his mother so there was no chance for a strong personal relationship. But was it because of Inari's mother? Did Haku see a younger version of himself in Inari: young and helpless?

Haku's mother did give her life for her son, but was Haku trying to avenge his mother? Was the guilt of his mother's sacrifice the cause? Or was it the fear that Inari would go through the same despair if she died?

None of these would have seemed possible in the mind of someone who didn't know Haku, but Naruto did. Sure, Haku had always adopted a calm demeanor but Naruto was more than able to see through the mask. Was the mask finally cracking? Was Haku letting out all of his rage and sorrow? The thought frightened Naruto. Several years of repressed rage could only add up. In Haku's case, that was a lot.

The man let out a laugh, "I see. Then we have a common goal."

"So you want to protect the bridge builder's family as well?" Naruto repeated stupidly. The man shook his head, "My job is simply to bring them to my employer."

"The Watari," Eiji stated. Naruto cast a side glance to see Eiji grinding his teeth. Naruto raised his hand and said, "Eiji, calm yourself."

Eiji took a step back and bowed, "Forgive me."

Naruto shook his head and realized the man was chuckling. More to the point, the man was pointing at Naruto and letting out quiet chuckles. At that moment, Naruto wanted to hit the man but decided against it. Keitaro told him, _the way we do business, is not the kind where you emotions can be worn on your sleeve. _He calmed himself with thoughts of ramen, the alluring scent and its wondrous flavor filling his mouth. Now that he was relaxed, he said, "What's so funny?"

"A kid is giving orders to an adult," he answered, "And the Watari aren't my employers. My employers make the Watari look like school children."

"And they are?" Haku asked.

"The highest bidder," he answered.

The man tried to proceed forward to claim the mother and child but stopped when Haku dropped Zabuza's large sword in the way. Haku calmly said, "Please, mind your distance."

"I see we are at a misunderstanding," the man said. His hand slowly rotated the uchigatana in his hands so that he held it backwards, "I won't ask you again: Stand aside!"

Haku's hand slowly reached for his kunai bag, but Naruto stepped in between them. He replaced Kitsune in sheathe and calmly said, "Perhaps we can reason this out. How much are your employers paying you? We can double it."

"Double it? You can double five million ryou?" he said. Naruto's face paled. Five million ryou? Naruto had seen the financial reports Eiji sent him; granted he needed Haku and Keitaro to explain what income tax, sales tax, checking accounts and the like were. Five million was more than the Syndicate made in a month. How were they going to double it?

"How double it in monthly installments?" Naruto offered pleadingly. The man let out a laugh at his words and answered, "Nice try kid, but five million was just a fraction of the actual payment."

Naruto's heart sank. If five million was just a fraction, then what was the actual price? Ten million? A hundred million? Maybe even into the billions? What should they do? What could they do?

"Perhaps we could make an arrangement?" Naruto said. The man ran a hand through his hair, "Go ahead, I get paid by the hour."

Naruto started making his offer, a deal that involved a mutual return from the entire Syndicate if the man would simply let Inari and his mother fall into their possession. As he talked, his hand slowly reached for the grip of his katana. If he could maybe reach it, then he could try that iaijutsu move that Keitaro used on Zabuza back in the restaurant and subdue the man. He would need to move quickly and without hesitation so he wouldn't give the man the edge he needed. He glanced at his hand for a second to see that it was inches away from _Kitsune._

_Why did I sheathe that stupid thing?_ He thought to himself. He wrapped his hand firmly around the katana and stepped forward.

KLANG!

Naruto stopped. He looked down, expecting to find a blade protruding into his chest and was relieved to find there wasn't. Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and looked up. Zabuza's sword stood directly in the path of the man's uchigatana. Haku was holding it, albeit with difficulty. The man cocked his head to the side in surprise, "You can't use iaijutsu on an uchigatana, idiot."

"_Idiot!"_

"_Dead Last"_

"_Loser!'_

Deep in the depths of Naruto's mind, gears turned. Every bad memory from the academy flashed through his mind. In an instant, Naruto lost his cool and unsheathed _Kitsune_ with a forward stabbing motion. It was not an intentional stab, nor was it directed at the man. It was more of an instinctive reaction towards his childhood. Naruto had been called an idiot more than enough times at the academy, especially by Sasuke and he would have no more of it.

Why was he called the idiot? Because he tried the hardest and accomplished nothing? Did anyone ever think of helping him, even once? No. On the contrary, everyone always watched from the side and laughed. It was as if his whole life in the academy had been for their entertainment. He was nothing more than a jester, a clown, meant to entertain the other kids with his own misfortunes. He would make them pay!

"Nar-Boss Kitsune?" Haku said. Naruto came out of his trance and looked at Haku. His fox mask had been removed to reveal a worried face.

"What…what was that?" Eiji managed. He was standing in the back, in front of Tsunami and Inari protectively. On his face was an expression of sheer, unimagined terror. Behind him, Inari's mother was holding her son close, as if to protect him from some monster. All it took was for Naruto to look forward to see the cause of their concern.

The man had been thrown to the other side of the room, lying unconscious behind the desk which was broken in half. On the wall behind him, was a large indent on the stone that vaguely resembled a human body. Naruto's mouth hang open in surprise, "What…what happened?"

"You don't remember?" Haku asked. Naruto had no idea how to respond to that. He had been here the whole time but had no memory of the desk breaking or the man passing out. Maybe Naruto didn't know his own strength. He laughed at the thought and pushed it aside.

Haku hesitantly walked over to the man and checked his wrist, "I can't find a pulse. He's dead."

"Dead?" Naruto heard Inari murmur behind him. Silence filled the room. Haku looked at Naruto with the same calm, passive face he had always seen but knew otherwise. Despite his collected demeanor, Haku was horrified. The air of the room was heavy with it. Horror. For some reason, knowing this filled Naruto with dread.

Naruto didn't need to turn around to see the looks of the others' faces. He already knew what he would see. He had seen it dozens of times before. Experience had taught that two types of people existed in Konoha: those who hated him and those who simply tolerated him. Those who hated him did so out of spite for reasons he could not begin to understand. The ones who tolerated him, who allowed him in their presence, did so fearfully. A young Naruto didn't need to talk to the villagers to know this.

Actions would always speak louder than words and it was no different in Naruto's case. He may have been allowed near them, but that didn't stop the cold stares from coming. All eyes were on him wherever he went. Whether they were filled with dread, fear, anxiety, anger, spite, or hate depended on the person.

A lumped formed in his throat and his chest became heavy. He wanted to cry. The very thing he hated most about Konoha, the one thing he thought he had left behind, would happen to here. He wanted to let out a loud wail of despair but knew better. He couldn't show emotion. His eyes would betray him if anyone looked into them, so he closed them right away and tried his best to clear his mind and relax himself.

He cast his gaze downward to avoid eye contact with everyone in the room. He had killed before, had he not? What made this death so different? Had he gone into a psychotic frenzy without realizing it? No, that couldn't be it. There was no blood on him or Kitsune. It had to have been something else. But what?

The weight of _Kitsune_ began to take its toll on his hands. He replaced the weapon in its sheathe to relieve himself of it. He took a deep, strained breath to relax himself before sitting down on the floor.

"Boss?" Eiji said, "What…what was that? A second ago?"

Slowly, his goofy trademark smiled adorned itself on his face. He cocked his head back to look at Eiji and said, "Oh, nothing. Let's just get out of here, okay?"

"Boss?"

"We have to return these two to the bridge builder," Naruto stated childishly. He popped his eyes open to see a small smile crack itself on Inari's face.

……………

Tazuna lay in his futon, trying his best to go to sleep. His mind, however, was fraught with worry for his missing daughter and grand child. It seemed like an eternity passed since the day of their kidnapping. He was promised no harm would come to them if he stopped the construction on the bridge and, as any father/grandfather would have, consequently did as he was told.

Despite this, nearly two weeks had flown by without word from the villains who kidnapped them. He had no idea if they were still alive, except for the hope that he could trust the men responsible. Even then, there was no reason to trust scoundrels as low as the Yakuza. He knew what they were capable of, with the memory of his de facto son-in-law Kaiza still fresh in his head.

The Konoha shinobi Hatake "Sharingan" Kakashi promised he and his team would search for them and bring them back. The promise brought some hope to Tazuna, but hope cannot live off weeks of fruitless searching. It jerked a tear in his eye to think about their efforts to save his kin while he wasted away idly.

Kakashi had suggested he not do anything, in case someone was watching the house but Tazuna couldn't fight the feeling of uselessness that was welling inside of him. He wanted to go out there and help look for them, but knew he couldn't without endangering the lives of Tsunami and Inari. All he could do was hope and pray for their safety while the Jonin known as Kakashi and his genin search relentlessly.

It was then that a thought crossed his mind. Perhaps they were already dead and the promise of their safe return was a mere ruse to stop the bridges completion. He choked back a sob at the thought and rose from his futon to fetch a drink from the kitchen. Sake had always helped him when he needed to sleep or take his mind off things.

As he reached the kitchen, it occurred to him that he shouldn't because his daughter did not approve of his drinking habits. _'You're setting a bad example for Inari, father,' _she would say to him, _'Do you want your grandson growing up to be an alcoholic like you? If you're going to drink can you at least wait until Inari isn't around?'_

He chuckled as he remembered her words, which brought tears to his eyes. With one large gulp, he drank half a bottle of sake in one go. It had a bitter taste that left a burning sensation in his mouth. It was a hot night, so h loosened the neck of his shirt so that he could air himself out and took another drink.

The second mouthful had a cool, crisp taste which told him the sake was doing his job. He went outside of his house and decided to sit on the porch. It was a dark, starry night filled with the many noises of busy wildlife. He watched the flow of water of a stream just outside his house, listening carefully to the sound of the water running accompanied with the croaking of toads.

Somewhere in the distance, beyond a tree line, there was a faint fiery glow. _The docks are probably busy again_, he thought to himself as he took another sip of the sake. Now that he thought about it, the glow seemed to be growing closer and brighter.

"I think I drank too much," he said to no one in particular, "I'll probably go back to bed after this bottle's empty."

He sat out for a little while longer, occasionally taking a sip of the alcohol, and listened to the calm sound of the water flowing past the stream.

A half an hour went by before he saw a small group of people approaching his house. After half an hour of drinking pure sake, his mind had become unable to properly register his surroundings through his drunken fog. The silhouettes of the party members were only barely visible from his porch. As the party drew closer, he found something vaguely familiar about two of the members.

As the party drew closer, he realized he knew the two: his only daughter and young grandson. He blinked in disbelief, believing right away that they were products of his stress and alcohol consumption. Taking another swig of his alcohol, he decided it would be best to ignore his hallucinations.

Eventually the group stopped right outside his house, and one wearing a fox mask came forward. He looked Tazuna in the eye and said, "Do you know who I am?"

"No," Tazuna answered. He snickered quietly and jokingly added, "Although judging by your mask, I'd assume you're a kitsune spirit."

The "_Kitsune Spirit_" fell silent and looked at the sake bottle in Tazuna's hand. Tazuna took another swig of it and said, "So what do you want, oh wise and noble fox spirit?"

"We are going to return your family to you," the "_Fox Spirit_" said to the old man, whose eyes widened in surprise. Was this a real offer or was his mind suffering from a delusion? It seemed so real, the only thing wrong with the entire picture was that he was talking to a fox spirit. Then again, he had been drinking. Maybe this whole thing was a product of his mind out of desperation to see his family. Of course it would take more than a little sake to make Tazuna fall for whatever delusions his mind created, "Sorry, not interested."

The fox spirit cocked his head to the side and curiously asked, "Aren't you at least concerned for the well being of your family?"

"Not if there products of my alcoholism," Tazuna retorted sarcastically. The fox spirit examined the bottle in his hand and stated, "You're drunk."

"Well of course, how else could a fox spirit be talking to me?" Tazuna retorted. The fox spirit frowned and withdrew a needle from a bag around his waist.

"I fully understand," it added before felt a sharp stabbing pain in his left leg. Tazuna dropped his bottle of sake and let out a howl of pain. The sudden stab had cleared his mind of the drunken haze. Now, all he felt was unbearable pain. Somewhere in the distance, he heard the words: '_Father!'_ and '_Grandpa!'_. This pain was almost indefinitely real. If the pain was real, then the fox spirit or whatever it was almost assuredly was. He fell back on his porch, squeezing his knee with both hands to try and stop the flow of blood.

"What are you?" Tazuna inquired more seriously, as the fox spirit pulled the needle out of his knee and replaced it in his bag, "I am a representative of Boss Kitsune of the Kitsune Syndicate."

"What, what do you want?" Tazuna said, "Are you going to kill me?"

"No," the Kitsune gangster said, "I already told you what we want: To return your family to you: daughter and grandson."

"Yeah right," Tazuna choked back. The pain in his knee was aching terribly, "So you can kill us all?"

"We have no intention of harming you or your family. We simply wanted to return your family to you," the gangster said, "In exchange, all we ask the finished construction of the bridge."

"The bridge?" Tazuna repeated. The gangster nodded, "We know you're probably concerned for the lives of your family, your workers and their families. I am here to assure you that no further harm will come to them. Make the construction on the bridge your biggest concern, understood?"

"I…I understand," Tazuna answered, gritting his teeth to distract himself from the pain. The gangster and his party left, leaving behind Tsunami and Inari who were both running towards the old man. Tazuna felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around him, "Father, are you alright?"

"Tsunami?" he murmured, before passing out from the pain.

……………

Naruto had thanked Eiji and Haku for what they had done and instructed them to meet him at the restaurant tomorrow so that they could discuss the matter concerning the Watari. They each went their separate ways afterwards, Naruto heading straight back to the safe house.

He arrived at the safe and walked through the front door only to be thrown down to the ground. He heard Keitaro's voice boom loudly, "YOU IDIOT!"

Naruto looked up to see Keitaro holding him pinned to the ground with a katana aimed directly at his chest. Naruto's heart skipped a beat upon seeing Keitaro's cold, angry face. In his eyes, Naruto could see nothing but malice and a desire to kill. The blonde's mind raced, trying to figure out what Keitaro was doing.

Was Keitaro going to kill the him? Was he a traitor within Hashi's ranks? Would he die right here and now before he realized what was happening?

Keitaro raised his hand in the air and slapped Naruto across the face, "What in heaven's name were you thinking?"

"What are you talking about?" Naruto said, exasperatedly.

"I'm talking about your little gang," Keitaro fumed. Naruto's face paled. Keitaro knew? But how? Had someone told him? Whatever the cause, the future did not bode well for Naruto. Keitaro released Naruto and ran a hand through his hair. Naruto scrambled back onto his feet and patted the dust off him.

"The Kitsune Syndicate," Keitaro murmured. Keitaro spun around in place and began, "Are you crazy? Boss Hashi sent you to the Land of Waves to keep you out of trouble, and you repay him by creating a gang and starting a gang war? What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I would solve the bridge builder problem," Naruto said, "Since you were too restrained by politics."

"So you start a gang war?" Keitaro asked with contempt.

"The gang war wasn't my idea," Naruto reasoned, "It sort of just happened before anything could be done about it."

"Naruto," he seethed. Keitaro reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. He rolled between his fingers several times before lighting it and saying, "You just don't get it, do you Naruto?"

"Get what?" Naruto asked. Keitaro started pacing around Naruto, as if to examine every inch of his body. After coming full circle he took a long drag on his cigarette and flicked the ash onto the table, "What it means to be Ninkyo Dantai."

"I know what Ninkyo Dantai means," Naruto answered. Of course he knew what it meant. It only had one meaning. What did Keitaro take him for? Naruto went on, "It means chivalrous organization, a group of people who look out for others."

"No it doesn't," Keitaro answered, "Or rather, not exactly. You see Naruto, there are two kinds of Yakuza: The ninkyo dantai and the bosuzoku. The bosuzoku are men who become Yakuza for their own gains: money, power, and women. The Ninkyo Dantai are men who become Yakuza because they had no other choice: their family's disowned them or they couldn't fit in. The Bosuzoku are fools because they have no idea how to attain their goals any other way. Don't get me wrong…both groups do awful things to survive in this world. At least the Ninkyo Dantai tries to be decent."

"But-"

"Just shut up," Keitaro said, "It's obvious to me that you're still too young to understand what I mean. Just go to your room and go to bed, I have to make arrangements to clean up this mess. "

……………

The next day, Haku appeared to tell Naruto that Eiji had been murdered that morning along with all of his subordinates. Every business underneath Eiji's protection had been claimed in the name of the Kuroihi. Immediately, Naruto understood what Keitaro meant by: _Clean up this mess._ Surprisingly, construction on the bridge was not hindered since news of the Kitsune's fall was still not public knowledge. As far as the public at large was concerned, Eiji was still alive and commanding the Kitsune.

A week afterwards, the bridge was finished and subsequently named: The Kaiza Memorial Bridge. Apparently, Kaiza was a well known hero in the village and the villagers felt it only natural to name the bridge after him since it was originally constructed to battle Gatou's monopoly which Kaiza had died doing.

The Konoha shinobi left the day after, with a large send off for their efforts from the villagers. The same day, Keitaro decided it would be safe for Naruto to resume his training in kenjutsu. It was a good thing too since Naruto's skill had dulled to an extent. The training sessions were long and grueling, interrupted only by Keitaro's business associates whom stopped by every few days.

A month later, they received a letter from Hashi-sensei that declared it safe for Naruto to return since Konoha officially labeled him as Deceased in the Bingo Book.


	15. Return to Hashi’s Manor

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates.

**Author's Notes:** Well, I must say thanks to you guys for all the wonderful reviews you've left. Really, you guys are what make this happen. I admit this chapter did not work entirely to my liking since I was hoping to develop the characters more but it is better than nothing. This chapter is the official start of the next arc of the story and I am personally excited about the direction in which it will go. On a personal note, I would like to make a shout out to my buddy: Creepingshadow who is undergoing treatment that has a chance of curing his affliction. Prayers and best of wishes go to you, good sir and I'm sure everyone reading this feels the same way.

Now I would like to take this time to answer some reviews, chapter 13 included since I apparently to respond to them in the last chapter.

**Crimsonkyuubi: **Naruto's strength now is a lot better than it was during the last chapter since there is a time skip. As of now, though, he could probably only compete with minor outsiders in the Yakuza or genin.

**DarkRavie: **Well you won't have to wait long since it is here. As for Haku…well you'll just have to wait and see.

**Akina no Hashiriya: **Thank you for your kind words. I don't really demand or expect criticism but I am grateful to see your trying to help. As for the loss of his gang, it was rough and I really didn't want to do it but I really needed to end that arc.

**Akira Stridder:** Yeah, poor Naruto worked so hard only to have it all taken away.

**Symbiotic: **Your reviews are by far, one of the most helpful for me. I'm glad you sympathize with my time constraints, since it really leaves me little time to work on this story. To be perfectly honest, as I type this I am running on five hours of sleep and two coffees. The last chapter's ending was kind of a low point for me. I wanted to do more with it, but I just ran out of time and energy. To be honest, the last part was done mostly because I was growing tired of writing for that part of the story. At the very least, thank you for the review and the constructive criticism.

**TheOtaku Akatsuki: **Yes, yes he did. But what can you expect from a little kid like Inari?

**MastermindZangetsu99: **Thank you for your words. I'm getting right on it.

**Aznblackhowling****: **I'm happy to see so many wonderful people lie yourself enjoy this story for what it is. I thank you for your words and will not stop writing.

And so, without further ado, I give you the continuation of Oyabun.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 15: Return to Hashi's Manor**

Night had already settled into the small border village when Naruto, Haku and Keitaro finally arrived. They were all fatigued from the day's travel, which consisted entirely of walking. Out of everyone in the group, Naruto noticed Keitaro was the most excited about returning from the trip. The whole day, Naruto and Haku noted his curiously quickened pace, as if he were anticipating something upon their arrival.

"Hurry up you two," Keitaro called, as they entered a small market place. The stalls and stores were amazingly decorated with fire lamps hung on strings that stretched across the street. The villagers stood to the side of the streets in order to make room for a convoy of carriages. The carriages were elegantly designed with gold paint and mesmerizing floral patterns, pulled by two oxen each draped in a red wool cloth. Still, the vibrant design did little to distract from the kanji inscribed along each carriage, reading: FIRE

Naruto noticed that several of these carriages were escorted by Konoha shinobi. Keitaro must have noticed this as well since he pushed Naruto behind him and through his travel cloak over Naruto. Naruto lifted the cloak a little to get a view of the marching shinobi. In Naruto's mind, the shinobi and the symbol registered only one thing: The Feudal Lord. Others clearly made this connection as a flurry of hushed voices and whispers swept through the crowd.

"What's going on?" Naruto heard a man nearby whisper.

"They're escorting the Feudal Lord to Konoha," another said, "For the bi-annual Chunnin Exam."

"Isn't that next month?"

"Supposedly, the Feudal Lord is going early to visit with several officials at Konoha."

"Really, so what's he doing in our town?"

"He is taking a tour of the-"

Keitaro pushed Naruto backwards into a dark restaurant. Were it not for the OPEN sign on display at the window, Naruto would have assumed it was closed because of the lack of occupants. Aside from two employees cleaning the tables, there was a third person surrounded with bottles of sake and cheap liqour. A fine layer of dust covered the walls, floors and tables.

"Let's grab a seat," Haku said, appearing suddenly at Naruto's side, "Keitaro told us to help ourselves and to put everything on his tab."

"Did he say why?" Naruto asked. Haku ignored Naruto and took his seat in a booth in the back. Naruto joined him and picked up a menu left in the center of the table. He blew the dust off and cracked the booklet open. As he always had, Naruto skipped straight to the ramen section and scanned the listing. Naruto paused and flipped to another page of the menu.

He scanned it and flipped through another and another. He blinked in disbelief and started at the beginning. Naruto dropped the menu in disbelief. There was no ramen.

"Hello," a waiter with a thick accent appeared by the table and asked, "How may I help you folks today?"

"Halo-halo," Haku ordered. The waiter jotted it down on a notepad and turned to Naruto, "And you?"

"You wouldn't happen to have any ramen, would you?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"What we have is what we have," the waiter answered apologetically, "We use to have ramen but we dropped because of the lack of sales."

Naruto frowned and said, "Then I'll have that Halo thing Haku ordered."

"Two halo-halo, coming up," the waiter said. He disappeared into the kitchen with the notepad.

"What's halo-halo?" Naruto asked. Haku eyed Naruto curiously before answering, "I'm not familiar with foreign foods."

The waiter reappeared by their table a moment later with two bowls, straws, and spoons. He set the bowls of the table and asked, "Two halo-halo. Will there be anything else?"

"That will be all for now," Haku answered. The waiter nodded and disappeared into the kitchen again. Naruto inspected his halo-halo carefully, turning the glass bowl over in his hand. It compromised mostly of shaved ice, milk, coconut shavings, corn, red beans, what appeared to be sweet potato slices, and avocado under two scoops of coconut ice cream and what appeared to be coconut shavings. The halo-halo looked like nothing more than a lousy mix of whatever the chef could have found in the fridge and thrown into the bowl. Naruto looked up at Haku, who met his gaze and shrugged. He lifted his mask and took a small bite. Naruto watched as a surprised look crossed Haku's face. He took another spoonful and said, "It's better than it looks."

Satisfied with Haku's reaction, Naruto decided to try some of his. He took a small spoonful and put it in his mouth. He soon found it tasted a lot better than it looked. It was an unexpected mix of sweet, creamy, salty and tangy. He took a larger spoonful on his next bite, savoring the taste. It couldn't compete or replace ramen as his favorite food, but it was still delicious. The two quietly enjoyed the halo-halo for some time until Keitaro appeared some time later. He had a small box in his hand which he placed in his pocket.

"Sorry I'm late. Enjoying the halo-halo?" Keitaro asked casually. Naruto nodded delightfully, "Yeah."

Keitaro smiled and answered said, "I had to make sure all the shinobi were off the street before it was all clear. Then I had to buy some…things."

"You mean the box?" Naruto asked. Keitaro nodded hesitantly, which pressed Naruto to ask, "What's in it?"

"Nothing of consequence," Keitaro answered, "Right, we can go once you two are done with the halo-halo."

Naruto nodded and put away the last of the desert. Haku finished a while later and the three left after Keitaro left several 50 ryou bills on the table. The streets outside were dark but far from empty. Villagers still went to and fro about their business, several of them stopping occasionally to ask Keitaro where he had been for over a month.

Keitaro would casually respond, "Business."

The villagers always nodded understandingly and inquired about his _special woman_. Keitaro's face always flushed whenever he was asked and requested they drop the subject. The villagers always seemed to understand and went back to shopping, cooking or closing their stores. Further down the street, they made a turn into a side road that Naruto recognized as the pathway to Hashi's manor.

At the end of the path were the familiar iron bar gates into the manor. Two guards were standing on the other side of the gates. One was a bald, portly man whose katana appeared to be a toothpick in his hands. The other was a small, dark skinned man with greased back hair and held his katana backwards. Both stood at attention and watched as Naruto, Haku and Keitaro approached.

Naruto stood frozen for a second until Keitaro nudged him forward, "Come on, we're late."

Keitaro took the lead, with Haku following shortly behind. Naruto cast him an unsure glance which Haku answered with a calm smile, as he always did. The smile wasn't the same calm smile Naruto used to know. Despite their friendship, Naruto found Haku became hesitant around him. His feelings and thoughts were subtle and difficult to read, a natural skill for Haku, but Naruto was still able to recognize it. Haku, much like the people of Konoha, was horrified of him. He didn't know why, but Haku was horrified.

It had been that way since the incident at the warehouse. Haku refused to speak of the incident and Naruto didn't dare ask. When Haku finally seemed able to talk about it, all he could say was, "Evil weighted the air. Malevolent, violent, chaotic evil filled the air and robbed you of all other emotion but fear."

The words struck a chord in Naruto's heart. The idea horrified Naruto just as much as Haku, perhaps even more. He felt...like a monster.

For all Naruto knew, he was a monster. It made sense. After all, he was only twelve and he had already lied, murdered, created his own bosuzoku, started fights with other yakuza, and led a gang war that ended in countless casualties. What was worse, though, was that he didn't take responsibility for it. Eiji became the leader in the public's eyes so the man had to take all the heat for _his_ Syndicate's actions. In the end, Naruto only managed to get Eiji killed, along with countless others.

What was wrong with him?

Sure, he had done it to rescue the bridge builder's family, but at what cost. More importantly, was Naruto kidding himself by saying he did it for the bridge builder? Was his real motive to hasten the departure of Sasuke and the rest of his team? Did that make him a bad person? A monster?

**You don't know what it means to be a monster.**

Naruto blinked. It was that voice again. The dark cold voice he hadn't heard in ages. A chill ran down Naruto's spine. He didn't know why, but the voice was hauntingly familiar. It was like he had always known it was there and knew who it was but at the same time didn't.

"Naruto! Keep up!" Keitaro shouted. He motioned for Naruto to follow from the other side of the gates. Naruto ran a hand through his hair and chased after the man. Naruto was rather surprised by the sudden changes he noticed once he was inside the compound.

The compound had evolved into a fortress. Two windows on the second story of Hashi's manor were open, with two men aiming crossbows out of the building towards the gate. There were more men than Naruto remembered scattered across the grounds. Some of them were close to Naruto in age. In fact, Naruto was sure several of them were younger than himself. The path leading from the gate to the manor was riddled with barricades of brick and stone.

Several exploding tags were scattered along the pathway as well, along with trip wires and an assortment of poles with flags. Guards waited around the poles, using an assortment of flashlights and spot lights to scan the vicinity of the compound.

"It's like a fortress here," Haku observed. Keitaro chuckled, "Yeah, last time Hashi did this, we were about to go to war with another Syndicate."

"Do you think there will be another war?" Naruto inquired. Keitaro shook his head, "Not likely, with the Bi-Annual Chunnin Exams coming up. No syndicate would dare make a move against another on such a crucial time of year. It's one of the largest sources of cash there is, behind only the casino industry and the _Legendary Sucker_."

"The who?" Naruto asked.

"The Legendary Sucker," Keitaro said, "I don't know who the Sucker is myself. All I've ever heard are rumors and myths about the Legendary Sucker. One of them goes he-"

"She," Haku interrupted.

"Whatever," Keitaro answered, shrugging, "Anyway, she supposedly lost one billion ryou in one round of dice. They say she owes more money to the Clans and Syndicates than there is in the world. She's supposed to be on the run from debt collectors, various hit men, and assassins. The Kuroihi even has a twenty million ryou price on her."

"So how come no one can find her?" Naruto asked.

"She's a member of Konoha's Legendary Sannin," Haku explained, "One of three elite ninja whose combined strength supposedly rivals the kages. As such, it would only be natural for her to be a master of disguise and combat."

"So if she's such a great kunoichi, what is she doing running up her debt?"

"Always with the questions," Keitaro sighed, "Still it's a good quality. To answer your question: no one can say for sure."

"Supposedly, the combined death of her brother and her lover drove her to seek solace in gambling," Haku explained, "Granted she gambled prior to their deaths, it was not as big of a problem as it is now."

"Hey Haku," Naruto started, "How come you know so much about this _Legendary Sucker_?"

Haku cast Naruto a worried glance before saying, "Zabuza and I were once contracted to hunt her down by an unnamed client. We were offered a sum that reached the hundred millions. We chased for her two months across the countryside, each time arriving too late or failing to capture her. Eventually, Zabuza reasoned it would be a waste of time to continue the search and we gave up."

So that was it. Haku and Zabuza had tried to hunt down the Sannin but failed. She must have been a disgrace to Konoha to have tarnished her name as a Sannin. It boggled Naruto how she could represent her village in such a way. Surely, if she had any respect for herself or her village, she wouldn't be dragging its name through the mud. And Konoha hated him, over her.

"HEY! KEITARO! NARUTO!" A familiar voice cried out. Naruto turned his head to the direction of the voice. Hashi-sensei was approaching them casually from across the grounds of the manor along a dirt trail. Beside him was a familiar dark skinned woman with light colored hair. Hashi was dressed in a white slacks and red dress shirt, under a white business suit. The woman beside him was clad in a pink turtle neck with the collar folded down and a black skirt. There was something vaguely familiar about her, but Naruto couldn't figure out what.

At first, he reasoned she was Hashi-sensei's wife because of the way she had wrapped herself around his arm. But Hashi was much older than she was, with a strong age difference between the two, particularly in Hashi's graying hair and wrinkling skin. The other problem was the lack of a wedding ring on her finger. Since she couldn't be his wife, the only other conclusion was that she was his daughter.

"Welcome back Keitaro and Naruto," Hashi greeted them, "It's good to see you two arrived without too much trouble."

Hashi turned a glance towards Haku and asked, "Who is this?"

"I am Haku," Haku answered, bowing as low as he could, "I suppose you are Boss Hashi of the Sakurazaki Clan?"

"Yes," Hashi said, stepping between Haku and his supposed daughter, "You wouldn't happen to be the apprentice of the late Momochi Zabuza, would you?"

Naruto saw Haku's fingers twitch at Zabuza's name. Haku hesitated for a moment before answering, "That is correct."

"Good," Hashi said, "Why don't you stay around the house a little bit? I could have some work for you that's makes use of your _skills_."

"Very well," Haku nodded respectfully. Hashi turned to Naruto and Keitaro, "You three must be tired from your journey. Why don't we head inside and we can have some dinner."

"Alright," Naruto said excitedly while Haku quietly murmured, "Okay."

They went inside the manor and into the dining room. It was a small room, similar in size to the main room of the safe house, but with a larger table in the center covered with a satin table cover and silverware designed with a floral pattern. Hashi-sensei insisted that Naruto, Keitaro and Haku take a seat at the table while Hashi and the woman went into the kitchen and prepared some food.

Just as Hashi and the woman were about to depart into the kitchen, a guard appeared and bowed, "Boss Hashi, your 7 o'clock is here."

"Already?" Hashi ran a hand through his hair, "Aye. Alright, I have to take this. Keitaro, would you mind helping out in the kitchen until I get back?"

"No problem boss," Keitaro said, turning to face the woman who smiled warmly at Keitaro. Keitaro only gave her a side glance, but there was a familiar glow in his eyes that Naruto had seen before. After Hashi disappeared, Keitaro and the woman went into the kitchen. As they left, Naruto noted a smile grow on Keitaro's face.

Naruto and Haku exchanged glances. A tense silence filled the room, which Haku had no intention of breaking. Naruto didn't care that much though, since he was still trying to figure out what he had just seen. The woman was connected to Hashi some how, that much was clear. So what was Keitaro doing? Then Naruto's mind was able to piece it together.

_Keitaro, we can't keep doing this. You know what dad will do when he finds out," she said._

Why didn't Naruto figure it out before? The woman was Hashi's daughter. If that were the case, it would explain Keitarols need to keep their relationship a secret. But it didn't explain why. Still, Naruto needed a second hand opinion.

"Hey Haku," Naruto asked, "Keitaro and that woman. Do you think there's something going on there?"

"It would be impolite to think that way," Haku answered. Naruto rolled his eyes, "Could you at least answer the question?"

"Answer what?" Keitaro asked, coming out of the kitchen with a steaming plate of noodles.

"Oh, nothing," Naruto answered quickly. Keitaro gave him a curious look before setting the plate down on the table. He returned to the kitchen and returned shortly afterwards with two bottles of sake and a bowl of rice. The woman appeared behind him with a plate of fried fish and a pot of steaming curry.

Just as they took their seats, Hashi appeared with undoing the tie on his suit and took a seat, "KEitaro, a representative from Otogakure will be coming around two in the afternoon tomorrow. Could you let me know when he gets here?"

"Sure thing boss," Keitaro answered, putting a fork full of noodles and rice on his plate.

Naruto nodded and held out his plate so he could grab some of the rice. Haku simply took a piece of fish and slowly started eating. Naruto waited as the woman started pouring some of the curry onto her plate and then Hashi and Keitaro's plates. She then came to Naruto, "Would you like some?"

"Sure," he answered stupidly. Naruto didn't know why, but there was something mesmerizing about her. He shook his head and dismissed at his fatigue. While she poured the curry onto the plate, Hashi said, "Naruto, this is my daughter: Hana, Sakurazaki Hana. Hana, this is Naruto."

"Hi!" she smiled, setting the pot down, "Be glad daddy didn't cook this or who knows what would have gone into it."

Naruto and Keitaro were forced to choke down a laugh while Hashi nodded and turned his attention to Naruto, "So Naruto, has Keitaro been training you in kenjutsu?"

"Yeah, he's taught me a lot. We even went into one handed and reversed combat," Naruto explained excitedly. Hashi nodded, "Good. Tomorrow, if we have the time, I'm going to reassess you."

"Reassess me?" Naruto murmured.

"To see how much you've progressed," Hashi explained, "So I know where to go from there."

Naruto couldn't help but look forward to tomorrow.

……………

It was a quiet afternoon in Hashi's Compound. A much welcomed, small breeze blew through and cooled the air. Hashi and Naruto were in the middle of a very heated duel. The rules were simple enough, a quick duel between Naruto and Hashi-sensei that went on until they were either too tired to continue or if one could disarm the other.

Naruto spun around in place and raised his katana to block Hashi's. A small _tink_ reverberated through the air when the metal collided. Reacting instinctively, Naruto pushed Hashi's katana up into the air to clear a path for a direct attack. Naruto stabbed forward. This time, Hashi parried Naruto's attack by pushing _Kitsune_ aside with his own weapon. Naruto recovered by spinning the katana in his hand so that it was held backwards and made a punching motion with his arm.

Hashi skillfully parried this attack and countered with a swing at Naruto's leg. Naruto was able to move his leg forward and out of Hashi's attack but not enough to avoid the blade from scratching his skin. Pain jumped up Naruto's leg and made him double back so he could find another opening. He realized that engaging Hashi so closely wouldn't work in his favor since he couldn't keep up with Hashi's movements. His best bet would be to attack from a distance.

As Naruto contemplated his next move, Hashi started circling Naruto with his katana spinning in his hand. A small smirk cracked itself on his face as Naruto moved his feet appropriately, one in front of the other without crossing them. Naruto knew that if he crossed his legs, he would be ill equipped for a defensive or offensive maneuver. If Hashi-sensei were to see such an opening, he would be able to disarm Naruto quickly.

Unfortunately for Hashi, it was Naruto who charged first with his katana aimed forward. Before the two could go any further, however, they were interrupted by Keitaro.

"Boss Hashi," Keitaro bowed, "I'm sorry to interrupt you but the leader of Otogakure has arrived for his scheduled appointment."

"Ask him to wait," Hashi instructed, "I'm still giving Naruto his training."

Keitaro cast a glance at Naruto and nodded. Naruto nodded back. He didn't fully get the implications yet, but somehow that nod was some form of affectionate acknowledgement between Yakuza, something he discovered by observing a lot of the guards. Instead of shaking hands or saying hello, they nodded quietly. Naruto examined Keitaro's clothes and noticed he had replaced his white dress shirt with a bright green one.

"Nice shirt," Naruto commented, which made Keitaro flush, "Oh, well you know...I decided to switch things up a little."

"He said he has a proposal that will benefit the both of you," Keitaro added, "And that he is a very busy man and must leave soon so he asks that you see him immediately."

"Can't you tell him I'm in a business meeting?" Hashi asked. Keitaro shook his head, "He insisted that he wait in your office."

Hashi clicked his tongue angrily. He straightened out his clothes, tucked in his dress shirt and dusted his slacks, and apologetically said, "I'm sorry Naruto. We'll have to continue this later. Stay in the garden and practice your kenjutsu."

"Sure thing," Naruto said. Hashi and Keitaro vanished into the manor, leaving Naruto alone in garden. Naruto, however, had no intention of practicing. He had been too tired and wanted to take a break. So, instead of practicing, Naruto decided to take a stroll along the grounds.

The grounds were amazingly beautiful, with the rose bushes lining the garden starting to blossom. He went past the rose bushes and into the front of the compound. It amazed Naruto to think about all the reparations made to the manor. One would not have anticipated that the compound had been horribly attacked nearly two months ago, or that it had been so much more peaceful.

Naruto followed a marked path to avoid the hidden exploding tags and went into the garden where he had seen Keitaro kissing Hana all too long ago. He walked in there to find Haku, sitting peacefully underneath a tree in a disturbingly pink kimono. Haku busied himself with gathering various plants and relocating them throughout the garden. It was a curious way to kill time, but at least Haku had something to do.

Naruto was about to say hello, but Keitaro appeared behind him and said, "Hey, Naruto. Boss Hashi needs you up in his office right away."

"Me?" Naruto asked. Keitaro nodded, "His client wants to meet you."

"What for?" Naruto asked. Keitaro shrugged and motioned for Naruto to follow him. He led Naruto down a path of familiar path of hallways and rooms until they came to a familiar door Naruto had been outside once. Naruto looked at Keitaro worriedly. Keitaro gave him an assuring nod and pushed him inside.

The room was vaguely reminiscent of Gatou's office, only the blinds were open and there was no mountain of paperwork or a pair of arms fashioned to the wall. Naruto immediately caught sight of Hashi talking to a man sitting behind a red leather arm chair.

"Ah, see," Hashi said to his guest. He looked at Naruto and said, "Naruto, come here will you."

"That will not be necessary Boss Hashi," a slithering, snake like voice said. The guest spun around in his chair to get a look at Naruto, who stood frozen in fear. The man was more snake like than human. His frame was long, thin and pale, and he carried himself loosely. He was clad in a curious black jumpsuit under a white tunic that was held to his body by a purple bow. He had long, wispy hair that reached down to his waist in the back and covered most of his face. The part of his face Naruto could see, had a snake like eye that seemed to pierce Naruto's very soul.

He didn't know why, but there was something about this man that filled Naruto with dread. Was this how Haku had felt at the warehouse? The man stepped towards Naruto and patted him on the head. With the same cold, snake like voice, he said, "Hello Naruto."

Hashi gave his guest a confused look and said, "Naruto, I would like you to meet the head of Otogakure no Sato. You may refer to him as Lord Orochimaru."

Naruto looked up at Orochimaru, who wore a smile on his face. It wasn't a calm smile like Haku's or an affectionate smile like Naruto saw Keitaro and Hana give each other. It was a happy smile that hid a dangerous secret.

……………

**Author's Notes: **And there you have it, chapter 15 complete. I'm going to take a little break so I can catch up on some unrelated projects and work. But I promise, the next chapter of Oyabun will appear three weeks from now on Friday, May 23rd. If you loved the chapter, drop a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and speculations about the next chapter. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	16. A Paternal Discussion

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates or any related subjects.

**Author's Notes: **Thanks you guys for being so patient with me. I know I asked for an extra three weeks but work and other projects have kept me occupied and restricted my time lately. Because of that, I didn't get to treat this chapter the way I wanted, but I had a deadline to meet so I put together what I could. Thank you to everyone who left a review or a comment in the reviews section. Now, as I always do, I will respond to all the reviews I received:

**DarkRavie: **Thanks for the compliment; I only wish I could have made this chapter just as good. I hope you enjoy it.

**Nantukoprime: **I'm glad you enjoy the story, even though it gets a little too chaotic. Disturbingly enough, the toads were one of my inspirations to write this story although I wouldn't call them a yak to their faces. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Peter Kim: **Hey! Welcome back! Hashi is a member of a powerful Yakuza and a high ranking member (I won't say what rank though). Give him a little credit in who and who not to trust. Your theory on Tsunade is close, but not correct. I hope you don't figure this one out since a lot of your guesses and speculations tend to force me to rework the story a little so it doesn't become to obvious, no offense to you of course. Finally, Jiraiya summons toads who speak, dress and behave like yakuza. That is my answer to your last question.

**Symbiotic: **I ended a chapter well? This is cause for celebration. I only hope this chapter can live up to the last one.

**Akira Stridder: **Badger, Badger, Badger, Badger, Badger, Badger, Badger, Badger, Badger, Badger, Mushroom, Mushroom!

**pat9455: **Thank you for your encouraging words. You won't have to wait long since the next chapter starts here.

**TGxSTep: **I like to throw a little cliff hanger in there every once in a while. Fortunately, the next update is here.

**Lexor****: **The best lessons in life are experienced, not instructed.

Finally, I wish to announce that creepingshadow will undergo surgery soon that may better or worsen his condition. I'm sure every one here hopes that the surgery works creepingshadow. Best of luck!

And so, I present to you the continuation of Oyabun:

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 16: A Paternal Discussion**

Naruto pushed himself out of Orochimaru's reach. The patting was getting on his nerves and, in Naruto's opinion, was just plain creepy. Not wanting to take a chance with this potential child molestor, he took a step back and reached for _Kitsune_. Naruto asked, "What do you want?"

"Naruto," Hashi said calmly, "Orochimaru has a business proposition for you concerning the welfare of Konoha"

That word alone was all it took to get Naruto's attention. A wicked smile appeared on Orochimaru's face, that sent chills down his spine. Naruto shivered as Orochimaru's ice-cold stare traveled up and down his body. Naruto had seen that look before, it was the look of a predator sizing its prey and calculating its next move. In a way, Orochimaru's eyes reminded Naruto of Zabuza minus emotion.

A shrill, soul-wrenching chuckle escaped Orochimaru, "In two months time, the Chunin Exams will start. Your _Oyabun_-"

Hashi interrupted, "I almost forgot Lord Orochimaru, Naruto is a civilian."

"A civilian?" Orochimaru asked, his face contorting in frustration, "Am I to understand that you are allowing a civilian to live in your compound?"

"A civilian without a home, if that's your inquiry," Hashi said explicatively.

"I see. Then you and I are alike," Orochimaru noted rather confidently, "Both of us, working so hard to give a warm home to the less fortunate youths around us."

"I believe I asked you to not to compare yourself to me," Hashi said, a tone of anger betraying his calm expression. The room grew quiet. Orochimaru and Hashi seemed to engage in a kind of staring contest, both wearing emotionless faces but sharing the same aggravation. A foreboding feeling filled the room, weighing Naruto with dread. Watching both Hashi and Orochimaru was like watching two colossi ready to attack. It seemed as if at any moment, one of them would kill the other.

An eternity seemed to pass, during which both Hashi and Orochimaru donned confident expressions. Orochimaru turned around and addressed Naruto, "Very well. Naruto, I have already explained the situation to your _benefactor_."

From the corner of his eye, Naruto saw Hashi's eye twitch in frustration at the comment. Orochimaru apparently detected this and smiled in satisfaction. He went on to say, "I'll spare you the boring details and cut to the chase: it has come to my attention that you spent your life striving to be the strongest ninja in Konoha but certain events robbed you of that chance. What would you say if I could offer you a second chance to become what you've desired so much to be?"

Naruto noted the lethal tone in his voice. There was something nerve racking about the way he spoke but Naruto couldn't determine what. But that wasn't what was at the front of Naruto's mind. Instead, he was contemplating what Orochimaru just offered him: Another chance to become the hokage. He didn't know why, but a part of him jumped for joy upon hearing Orochimaru's offer. Maybe he could get a fresh slate and another chance at his dream to be Hokage. Then Naruto could lord his strength over all the chumps in the village who ignored him. Even their beloved Uchiha Sasuke would have to kiss Naruto's feet.

At the same time, another part of him sank in disgust. Why was he being given a second chance to become Hokage? What had he done to earn this favor from Orochimaru? More importantly, if Orochimaru was the leader of Otogakure, then how could he give Naruto a chance to be Hokage of Konoha? Was there a side that Orochimaru was intentionally neglecting to mention? Naruto needed to ask in a way without letting Orochimaru suspect anything. A few minutes of racking his brain produced the question, "Why me?"

"Why not?" Orochimaru countered. _Dang_, Naruto thought. Maybe he should have thought of a better question. Keitaro's words bubbled into his mind: _When you ask Gatou questions, be sure you do it in a way that masks your intent and your knowledge. There's an old saying that goes: All war is based on deception. Therefore, act as naïve as possible by asking stupid question and hesitating to answer._ Orochimaru was no different from Gatou. He just needed to keep interrogating Orochimaru in a way that resembled the mindless blithering of an idiot. And, according to virtually every academy student, shinobi, kunoichi and official in Konoha, that was something that was easy for Naruto.

Still, another thought plagued Naruto that concerned the current occupant of that position.

"What about the old man? What about the Third Hokage?" Naruto asked childishly. A sinister smile twisted itself onto Orochimaru's face. Without hesitation, he answered, "That is an unimportant detail."

Without realizing it, Naruto's face subconsciously contorted in frustration. Orochimaru was being evasive, but Naruto couldn't let Orochimaru know that. Despite that, Naruto found it hard to mask the incredible frustration. Almost immediately, Naruto asked, "If it concerns a position that is currently occupied, I'm sure it's an important detail."

"Now, now, Naruto," Orochimaru snickered deviously, "Let's not ruin the excitement with any of the boring details, okay?"

"Don't treat me like I'm just some kid, _Lord_ Orochimaru," Naruto almost growled, saying lord with a hint of distaste. Again, Naruto failed to notice the frustrated expression on his face that twisted into a look of anger. Orochimaru took a step back, his face filled with equal parts interest and fear. The look on Orochimaru's face reminded Naruto of the expression on Haku's face during the attack on Warehouse 27. Had he done whatever it is he did at the warehouse without realizing it?

"I'll assume that's a no then," Orochimaru said, turning to face Hashi, "Thank you for time Boss Hashi. I anticipate the answer of the entire Kuroihi Syndicate. For the sake of your Syndicate's future, I hope they make the right choice."

Hashi winced as Orochimaru closed the door behind him. Naruto looked from the door to Hashi, who wore a frustrated expression on his face, "I don't trust him."

"Me either," Naruto said without realizing it.

Hashi nodded, still looking rather surprised, "This is just a little question that's bugging me, how come you turned down Lord Orochimaru's offer? I thought you wanted to be Hokage."

Naruto paused. He did want to be Hokage, didn't he? It was his goal when he still lived in Konoha. In fact, the only reason he made that his life long goal was to be acknowledged by the village. The village had acknowledged him but not in the light he wanted. On the contrary, Naruto became an S-Rank criminal instead of hokage. Naruto considered the irony of becoming the opposite of what he wanted to be.

Of course his constant pranks to gain any recognition probably didn't put him in a positive light. Strange that everything he did only made others frown upon him. Instead of gaining adoration and acknowledgement, he gained spite and hatred. Did Naruto really want to become the leader of a village that hated his existence?

"I…don't know," Naruto suddenly choked out. Hashi continued to nod, watching Naruto the whole time. Naruto tried not to make eye contact, remembering one of the many lessons Keitaro gave him in the Land of Waves._If they make eye contact, don't break it. _As Naruto remembered from Keitaro's explanation: this trade or business was the kind where looking into someone's eyes could tell you more about them than they want you to know. The biggest fatality anyone could make was to make eye contact.

Hashi's chair made an eerie creaking noise as he turned it to face the window. Naruto turned to face Hashi who had turned his chair around so he could stare out the window. With the same calm, business like tone he had seen Keitaro use around Gatou, Hashi quietly said, "In any case Naruto, could you take a seat? There's something we need to discuss."

"What about?"

"The Ninkyo Dantai," Hashi said abruptly. Naruto froze, a sudden chill running down his spine. His mind immediately went to ramen, calming himself as best he could. Naruto didn't know why but thinking about ramen became a second nature when he was anxious while he was in the Land of Waves.

"Naruto, please have a seat," Hashi said insistently. Naruto complied, approaching the chair Orochimaru was sitting in previously. A tingling sensation ran through him as he took his seat, as if every pore on his body was screaming at him not to sit in that chair.

"Is there anything about the Land of Waves I should know about, Naruto?" Hashi asked once he was seated.

"No, Hashi-sensei," Naruto lied. Hashi spun around in his chair to face Naruto. A trickle of fear ran down Naruto. Although Hashi appeard calm, Naruto felt a dispiriting anguish fill the air that seemed to center around Hashi.

"Don't lie to me Naruto," Hashi warned, "I am well aware of the Kitsune Syndicate aka the New Gatou Corp."

Naruto was taken aback. When was the gang ever called the New Gatou Corp? He understood the Kitsune Syndicate since that was the gang's given name but _the New Gatou Corp_? How did anyone devise that name? The New Gatou Corp would have implied the Kitsune were exactly like Gatou Corporation. But the Kitsune and Gatou Corp were nothing alike. The Kitsune never drove an entire country to poverty. On the contrary, Naruto wanted to use the Kitsune to rebuild the Land of Waves. How did that make the Kitsune like Gatou Corp?

"Would you care to explain why you decided to create a bosuzoku?" Hashi demanded sternly. Naruto leaned forward in his chair, "After Gatou's death, Keitaro started doing everything he could to keep the Land of Waves under control. But it was taking its toll on him: there were too many roving gangs and there was only so much he could do. He started sounding like he was ready to give up the entire country without a fight, so I decided to step in."

"By starting a gang," Hashi finished.

"Well yeah," Naruto answered defensively, "But I only wanted to protect the Land of Waves."

"Creating a gang is not a solution," Hashi proclaimed, "If you wanted to do something, you should have just sat back and waited."

"How could I just wait when there was so much going wrong!?" Naruto shot back, "With all those gangs doing whatever they wanted back in the Land of Waves, Keitaro was stretched thin. You would have preferred it if I sat back and watched all that suffering?"

"The entire situation was entirely under control, Naruto," Hashi explained, "Keitaro contacted me after Gatou's death and I gave him specific instruction on what to do. It was merely a matter of waiting for me to order him to perform the instructions."

"And what instructions were those?" Naruto demanded.

"That is business related Naruto," Hashi offered evasively, "I cannot tell you because you are a civilian."

"What does being outside the gang have to do with anything?" Naruto demanded angrily, "Just tell me."

"Because it would give our enemies a reason to capture and kill you," Hashi answered, "If I explained any of my business to you, they would consider you an unofficial associate. If they captured you, they would have tortured you until you told them what I would have told you. After you would have told them what they wanted to know, you would have been killed and your body thrown into a well or a lake. They would then proceed to erase any paperwork that proves your existence. You would simply have disappeared. That is why I cannot tell you."

Shock froze every joint in Naruto's body. What Hashi said made sense when he considered the events after the graduation exam. The man who tried to attack Naruto was found half dead in a ditch outside the village. The witnesses to Hashi's actions immediately blamed the Kuroihi, only to change their stories some time later. If the Kuroihi Syndicate could do that, then there was no doubt in Naruto's mind that any of the Kuroihi's rivals could very easily make him disappear.

As all these things registered, Naruto realized he had risen out of his seat. His hands were curled into fists that rested on Hashi's desk. All the while, Hashi stared at him calmly while his hands were folded just under his chin. Naruto unfurled his hands and stepped backwards into his seat, immediately thinking about ramen to calm himself down.

"You're angry, I understand," Hashi patronizingly said, "But this is not the kind of business where you can wear your emotions on your sleeve without consequence. Naruto's head perked up at the familiarity of those words. If you can't at least remain calm during this talk, then how can you expect me to trust you with vital information concerning the Sakurazaki Clan and, more importantly, the Kuroihi Synidcate?"

"I led a gang didn't I?" was Naruto's retort.

"And aside from you and Haku, how many are still alive?" Hashi responded systematically, "You were responsible for the lives of others and you got them killed. Did their lives concern you in anyway at all?"

Hashi reached for a manila folder on his desk and opened it, spreading all the documentation onto the desk. Some papers had photos attached while others were tied together to make little booklets. Hashi picked up one of the papers and read it aloud, "Kasen Eiji, born Saga Eiji, Age: 27, Cause of Death: Respiratory failure due to obstruction of airway by a _towel_, Time of Death: 5:21 AM. Eiji was your shateigashira, correct? But you let the public believe Eiji was the gang leader for your own safety. Am I right?"

"Yes," Naruto answered Hashi.

"Naruto, how would you describe your relationship with Eiji? Were you two close or what?" Hashi asked.

"I guess," Naruto replied. Hashi nodded, "Could you name some things he liked to do on his spare time?"

"Er…"

"He meant nothing to you, didn't he?" Hashi said almost accusingly. Naruto shook his head, "No! He was-"

"Your shateigashira and nothing more," Hashi answered definitively, "He had your respect as a peer, but you never knew him beyond a name and a face, am I correct? This man, who obediently served you and was ready to give his life and you can't name one thing he enjoyed to do on his spare time?"

Naruto was speechless. Hashi was right. Naruto hardly knew Eiji and Eiji was prepared to risk it all for Naruto. He took on the guise as head of the Kitsune in the public's eye and went as far as to take all the hardship with it. By comparison, Eiji dealt with more than Naruto did as leader of the Kitsune. That is not to say that Naruto didn't cherish his comradery with Eiji. He did, however, feel guilty about not getting to know Eiji better.

"Do you understand where I am going with this, Naruto?" Hashi asked. Naruto gave him a puzzled look that only made Hashi frown. Just as Hashi was about to open his mouth and explain, there was a knock at the door. The door opened slowly and a man apologetically said, "Oh, I'm so ve-very so-sorry."

Naruto wiped his eyes with his sleeve and quickly straightened himself. He cast a glance at the young man who was perhaps no older than Keitaro. Every strand of hair on his head flowed backwards, as if a strong wind was blowing it back, but was clearly doing so of its own accord. Much like many of the Kuroihi member Naruto had seen, a tattoo of a dragon appeared on the back of this man's neck that disappeared behind the collar of a white dress shirt and black slacks.

"It's alright," Hashi answered. The man bowed in response, "I cannot accept that, Oyabun."

Déjà vu set in, although Naruto couldn't exactly say why. He swore he had met this man before now, he just couldn't remember where. The man rose and held up some papers in his hand, "O-Oyabun, here are the forms from the Feudal Lord. He's agreed to the-"

"Hold that thought for a second," Hashi interrupted the man, "Naruto, if you would please. There's business here that needs attending to."

Naruto nodded and got out of the chair, his mind still occupied with thoughts about Eiji. He left the room so Hashi could attend to his _business_. Naruto started walking, he didn't know where to, he just started walking. With each step, more thoughts ran through his head: where was Hashi-sensei going with that talk anyway? Was he trying to prove a point? Was he trying to tell Naruto anything at all? It seemed like a less intuitive version of his talk with Keitaro a few months ago after the attack on Warehouse 27.

But what message was Hashi trying to tell him? That bosuzoku were bad? Naruto already knew that without needing an explanation. So what else could he have meant?

"Naruto?" Haku said. Naruto rose out of his thoughts and took in his surroundings. He was in the garden, standing by Haku who was looking at him inquisitively. The elder boys hands were covered in fine layers of dirt and grime from work. Naruto noticed this and looked at Haku, still clad in his strange assortment of clothing.

"Hey Haku," Naruto greeted the boy. Haku tilted his head to the side and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No," Naruto said, watching as Haku busied himself with uprooting plants and replanting them in the dirt, "Would you like some help?"

"Of course," Haku answered, as he pulled an herb out of the ground and handed it to Naruto. The dirt entangled in the roots was warm and moist in his hands. Haku ran the back of his hand over his forehead and said, "Could you please plant that under the tree there. This kind of herb is not intended to survive in the light. It needs shade and moisture."

Following Haku's orders, Naruto brought the herb to a sakura tree in the corner. Using his bare hands, Naruto dug up some dirt and planted the herb in the freshly made hole. He quickly covered the gaps with some of the loose dirt before returning to Haku who thanked him. Haku and Naruto repeated this process and worked in the garden for the remainder of the day and some time into the night.

**Author's Notes: **Another chapter complete and ready for the presses. I feel really bad that this chapter was very short and lousy so I decided to at least post the updated research I've done into the Yakuza. It's available below in the Terms to Know section. The next chapter for Oyabun will appear on Friday June 6th. If you loved the chapter, drop a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and speculations about the next chapter. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!

……………

**Terms to Know (Updated): **These are an updated version of the terms from the first chapter, concluding two years of extensive research that was done between writing this story and work.

**Terms/Phrases:**

**Boryokudan: **The literal meaning is "Violence Group". However, the general usage of the word to classify all gangs has made it nothing more than another way to say: Gang.

**Bosuzoku:** Bosuzoku usually tend to be the most active group in larger organizations and syndicates, managing on the street level. They consist of small time gangs that recruit new members into the Syndicate or function independently. They are the least respected and considered to be on the same level as punks and wise guys. These groups usually exist for the sake of flashy apparel, hot women, and easy money.

**Clan: **A term that can be used to describe minor or subsidiary gangs of the Larger Syndicates. In some instances, a clan can exist as a subsidiary group to another clan. The Yamaguchi, for example, supposedly have five layers of clans separating the enforcers and associates from the Kumicho or Chairman. To that end, some clans work for one of the four Principal Families without realizing it.

**The Four Principal Families:** There are many Yakuza gangs in Japan, numbering in the thousands. However, many of them are subsidiary gangs to one of Four Syndicates. These Syndicates are similar to the Five Families of New York, in that they are so powerful that no one Syndicate could successfully destroy the other without destroying itself in the process.

In order of strength and influence, the families are:

1) The Yamaguchi-gumi based in Kobe led by sixth Chairman Tsukasa Shinobu,

2) The Sumiyoshi-rengo led by sixth Chairman Shigeo Nishiguchi

3) The Inagawa-kai based in Tokyo which is currently in the midst of naming a successor

4) The Tao Yuai Jigyo Kummiai based in Tokyo led by first Chairman Satoru Nomura.

As of now, the Yamaguchi and the Sumiyoshi are considered rivals. In this story, the Kuroihi are based off the Yamaguchi.

**Ninkyo Dantai: **A term all yakuza use to describe themselves. Only few gangs openly speak the truth in these words, while others merely flaunt their hubris. The principal difference between Ninkyo Dantai and Bosuzoku is in what these gangs seek to achieve. True Ninkyo Dantai try to steer clear of a flashy lifestyle and tend to live by certain codes or principals that bosuzoku do not acknowledge.

**Oyabun-Kobun: **The relationship between someone adopted into the boryokudan (foster child) and the person who adopted the Kobun (Foster parent). One's level is determined by when the person joined and who their allegiance lies to, sometimes allowing a 20 year-old to have seniority over a 60 year-old. Oyabun is also the name given to the head of each clan, either subsidiary or main, by the subordinates.

**Sakazuki (Sake Sharing): **A ritual performed during a member's induction to any position in the gang. It is accompanied by a public ceremony if the induction is for a kumicho, saiko-komon, komon, so-honbucho, wakagashira or shateigashira. The ritual is also performed to seal alliances or treaties between groups.

**Ya-ku-za/ Hachi-Kyu-San: **an individual member of the Boryokudan. The name derives from the most difficult hand to win with in a game of Oicho-Kabu, requiring the player to be cunning, intelligent and lucky at the same time. Many consider the hand worthless. As a phrase, it is believed to bring bad luck to whomever says it.

**The Yakuza Power Structure:**

**(The Main Family)**

**Kumicho/Chairman:** The Japanese counterpart for the Italian Don or "Godfather". He is the head of an individual gang or an entire syndicate, but his strength is mostly determined by his ability to control his gang.

**Saiko-Komon:** The senior advisor to the Kumicho. This is man is mostly in charge of the gang or syndicates administration: from accounting to legal disputes. He has his own separate gang that is under the control of kumicho but consists mostly of lawyers, secretaries, and accountants.

**Komon:** An advisor. He is below the saiko-komon and his opinion has less value to the kumicho. Like the Saiko-komon, he has his own separate gang that is under the control of kumicho but is mostly made up of lawyers, legal consultants and secretaries.

**So-Honbucho: **The Head-quarters Chief responsible for protecting the kumicho and his family in their home. He manages a subsidiary gang which guards the Kumicho's compound.

**Wakagashira:** The number two man, considered the first Lieutenant and head of the second family. He is the kumicho of a second family (clan) beneath the main family that exists to enforce the rule of the kumicho. As the second in command, he is often considered the most likely candidate to replace the kumicho after his retirement or death. Members of the Wakagashira's clan are considered Wakagashira-hosa except for his assistant whom is labeled the Fuku-honbucho.

**Shateigashira:** The number three man, and second lieutenant in the Syndicate. He controls a third family that is equal in level to the Wakagashira's clan but is considered a step below in strength or influence. Members of his gang are refered to as the Shateigashira-hosa.

**Fuku-Honbucho:** The assistant or advisor to the Wakagashira, who exists primarily to oversee administrative duties. Much like the saiko-komon, he has his own family consisting of lawyers, accountants and secretaries.

**(Ranks of the Secondary Family)**

**Wakagashira-hosa: **Members of the Wakagashira's gang. Much like the Wakagashira, they each have their own clan that acts as a subsidiary to the Wakagashira's. To that end, they create a family that works as the Wakagashira's second family and the Kumicho's third.

**Shateigashira-hosa:** A member of the Shateigashira's gang. Similar to their counterpart, the Wakagashira-hosa, they can form a family that acts as the Shateigashira's second family and the Kumicho's third.

**(Ranks of the Third Family)**

**Wakashu:** The highest level a subordinate can attain before being named a shateigashira-hosa or a wakagashira-hosa. They can create their own family but it will be considered a fourth or fifth level clan.

**Shatei:** The entry level of subordinates.


	17. Arrivals and Warnings

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates or any related subjects

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates or any related subjects.

**Author's Notes: **Hello, hello and thrice again hello. Unlike chapters in the past, this one actually went into the direction I wanted, although it is a little OC centric. I tried to edit it a little bit to make it focus more on Naruto, but doing so distracted from several main plot points and character development I wanted to focus on in this chapter. It was hard trying to find an even balance between the two but I think I found a working mix. Anyway, the chapter is a little bit in subpar quality because of time restrictions due to a mix of work and college but I had more free time the last two weeks than I have in the past.

I used that extra time to start a new story idea that **creepingshadow** asked me to get off the ground. For those of you who want an update on his status: he is currently taking a drug that keeps his disease in a state of suspended animation. It hasn't cured the problem, its more of a temporary pause. Until he's cured permanently. Here's hoping. As for the new story: It's a Digimon fic called **Takato's Light**. It's a TakatoxHikari, high school fic which I'm really excited about.

And now, as is custom, I'd like to respond to reviews:

**Lexor: **Yeah, he is pretty slow isn't he? I try my best to keep him in character, but what's scary is that his experiences with the Yakuza are really making it hard to keep him in character.

**Penterghast: **Thank you for your thoughts. I read through a lot of stories on this site but could never find a story about the yakuza which wasn't an AU or had yaoi. The irony is there is no such thing as a gay Yakuza. In fact, Yakuza are known for openly opposing gays. This was my best stab at that idea of a yakuza Naruto but its proving difficult to write.

**DarkRavie: **I'm glad you liked it. No need to wait longer, though, as the new chapter is up and ready.

**Akira Stridder:** Orochimaru isn't someone who'll let himself get killed so easily. He will die, just not yet.

**Symbiotic: **I know it was short, so I tried to compensate with an updated **Things to Know**. I really wish I had more time to work on it but there just wasn't enough time. Anyway, I spent a lot of time researching them for a separate project I'm working on which is why I had so much information that needed condensing.

**Peter Kim: **The Akatsuki have a powerful underground network, that much I will concede to fact. I'm curious though: In your opinion: Can an organization of samurai criminals beat an organization of ninja criminals?

**Lordofknightmares: **You're right about Orochimaru. I tried to make him sound in character, but I always see him as Japanese version of Michael Jackson. So sorry about that. In any case, I'll consider your proposition, but I like this method better because it makes the response seem more personal.

And so, without further distraction, I present to you the continuation of Oyabun:

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 17: Arrivals and Warnings**

There was a soft knock on Naruto's bedroom door. The blonde pulled his pillow over his head in the hopes of drowning out the knocking, which seemed to grow louder. Naruto curled up into a fetal position, trying to block out the noise with much difficulty. After realizing the knocking wouldn't stop, he groggily answered, "Wha-?"

"Naruto," Keitaro's voice said from the other side, "Boss Hashi is expecting some guests today. I'm leaving a pair of clothes he wants you to wear for their arrival on the doorknob."

Muffled footsteps told Naruto that Keitaro had walked away. Naruto cracked a yawn and rolled over in his bed, quickly falling back asleep.

The blonde's eyes would crack open some time later, his sleep interrupted by the sunlight streaming through his window and casting itself on his eyes. With a jaw cracking yawn, Naruto rose out of his bed and walked over to his closet to get some clothes before remembering the pair of clothes Keitaro had left him outside. His mind reeled after he opened his door and reached for the hangar Keitaro left him.

To Naruto's surprise and chagrin, Keitaro had left an orange kosode, a white kimono with a design of a golden dragon along the back, a black hakama, and a black haori with a pin framed to resemble a sun pinned to the left breast. Naruto took the clothes off the doorknob and examined it closely; still unable to believe the clothes he had just been given.

Naruto had never seen such formal clothing, even on some of the more prestigious clans of Konoha. At best the clans could probably only afford the kimono alone for one member. If that were true, how did Hashi-sensei managed to afford this? Now that Naruto considered it, the combined price of all the clothes was probably triple what Hashi paid to repair his manor.

"Good morning Naruto," Haku greeted, only to cause Naruto to fall backwards onto the floor. A small chuckle escaped Haku, as Naruto collected himself, "Do you have to sneak up on me like that Haku? Especially this early in the morning?"

"Actually, it's about nine o'clock now," Haku answered, "I was coming up here to wake you. Boss Hashi is expecting guests in an hour and he wants you ready before then."

None of this registered with Naruto, who was too distracted by Haku's apparel to care what he just said. Haku was wearing clothes similar to the ones Naruto was holding in his hands, with the exception of a white haori instead of a black one. Haku followed Naruto's gaze upon his clothing and asked, "What's wrong?"

"You too?" was all Naruto could manage to say. Haku smiled calmly and answered, "Of course."

"Who is so important that Hashi-sensei wants us to wear this?" Naruto asked the older boy. Haku shrugged blankly.

"If I knew, I would tell you," Haku explained. Naruto noted a small quiver in his voice but ignored it since this was almost expected from Haku now.

Naruto gawked stupidly at the clothing Haku was adorned in. Hashi-sensei must have had quite the pocketbook if he could afford all this. At that precise moment in time, a gear turned somewhere in Naruto's mind that acknowledged the words: nine o'clock, Hashi, guests, hour. Without warning, all the adrenaline in his preteen body burst out of his adrenal gland. In what could only be described as a child on a sugar rush, Naruto grabbed a pair of underwear out of his dress and the kimono on the hangar. He darted out of the room, accidentally bumping into Haku who was caught aback by Naruto's sudden rush.

"Sorry Haku," Naruto called back, not bothering to look over his shoulder. Yesterday taught Naruto a valuable lesson: there were only 20 showers in Hashi's entire compound and exactly one hundred and ninety five men, two underage boys, and one woman. There was only so much hot water which meant around ten past nine, there would be nothing but cold water. There was a hot spring that served as an alternative, but Naruto didn't feel like being surrounded by fifty naked men in the morning. Then again, who in their right mind did?

Unfortunately for the prepubescent blonde, there was a line of twenty or so men waiting to get into the shower for the bathroom closest to his room. Naruto immediately changed course for another bathroom on floor below, racing past the bathroom and makin a sharp turn around the corner for the stairs.

After the first step down the stairs, the foul smell of methane entered his nostrils. Covering his nose with his black undershirt to cover the smell, Naruto reached the bathroom door only to find an OUT OF ORDER sign hanging from it. Coincidentally, the smell appeared to be originating from this bathroom.

Naruto groaned and continued running down the hall, heading for the next bathroom down the hall. He reached the door just in time to see Keitaro step out dressed in his all too familiar black business suit. Unlike the other times he had worn it, though, his dress shirt underneath was tucked in and his pants were held up by a black leather belt. Just as well, he wore his black coat which bore a pin shaped like a sun on the left breast pocket. Also different was his dress shirt's collar which was folded down instead of propped up and a red and black striped tie to that he was adjusting around his neck. The most surprising difference and perhaps the most refining quality, though, was the manner of Keitaro's hair. Unlike before, when Keitaro fashioned it so his bangs would cover the right side of his face while the rest of it went back, his hair was greased back almost entirely and tied into a ponytail at the base of his head.

"Keitaro?" Naruto asked stupidly. Keitaro glanced over at Naruto and frowned, "You're not ready yet?"

"I still have to take a shower," Naruto answered impatiently. Keitaro stepped aside to allow Naruto to enter, "I hate to be the one to tell you this but all the hot water is gone."

"What? Already? but it's not even ten o'clock yet," Naruto retorted in surprise. Keitaro shook his head and explained, "There are very important guests arriving at ten. Boss Hashi wants everyone to look presentable exactly thirty minutes before they get here."

"I wanted to ask about that Keitaro, who exactly is Hashi-sensei expecting?" Naruto asked. Keitaro bit his lower lip and answered, "Important guests."

He departed quickly, leaving Naruto to ponder who the guests were. Still, Naruto couldn't stand around all day when he had thirty minutes to get ready. He turned the shower on to a war setting only to find Keitaro was right about the lack of hot water. Exasperated and in a rush, Naruto reluctantly jumped into the ice cold water. His body started shivering in protest, demanding to be removed from the freezing substance. Fighting the urge to jump out of the freezing water, Naruto did his best to hold out in the icy waters.

Naruto climbed out of the shower fifteen minutes later, reaching for the top of a pile of neatly folded towels that lay to the side of the sink and drying himself off. He tossed the towel into an open hamper and pulled his underwear on began donning the clothes.

He stepped out of the bathroom adorned in his clothing. It took Naruto some time, but he realized the hakama was worn on the legs over the kimono to give the wearer more freedom in movement. Good thing too since the kimono contained something of an uncomfortable draft between his legs.

Slung under his sleeve were his orange clothes which he quickly threw into a basket in his room. Whilst in his room, Naruto took Kitsune from atop his dresser and tied the weapon to his waist. Once this was done, Naruto walked over to the mirror so he could examine himself. Once his gaze fell on the mirror, he blinked and rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Both proved fruitless since the reflection before him did not change in appearance.

What he was seeing was one hundred percent him. A tinge of pride creeped up Naruto while he spun around to examine every inch of his body. The combined kimono and katana made him resemble a samurai from an old movie he had seen long ago- a samurai on a journey to rescue the daughter of his emperor from death. The plot was that in an overly general sense. The scar on his right cheek had fade considerably, but was still there although it didn't immediately draw attention. It looked a lot better compared to two months ago but was still far from disappearing if it would at all. His hair, which had gone roughly two months without a hair cut, now touched his shoulders. Were it not for the whisker like birthmarks and the faded scar on his cheeks, Naruto would probably have mistaken his reflection as the Fourth Hokage because of his hair.

A knock at his door broke Naruto away from his reflection.

"Naruto?" Hashi's voice said from beyond the door, "It's nine thirty. There's some rice down in the kitchen if you're hungry. Just be sure you're in the front courtyard before nine forty-five."

"Okay Hashi-sensei," Naruto answered. Glancing at the mirror one more time, Naruto followed the familiar trek down into the kitchen where a bowl of rice covered in soy sauce was left on the table. Feeling a sudden pain in his stomach, Naruto grabbed the rice and made it disappear as quickly as he found it.

Naruto quickly washed the bowl in the sink, then went out into courtyard as Hashi had asked. Outside, in the front entrance, Naruto found every single one of Hashi's guards standing in twelve straight lines. There were sixteen guards to each line and each guard was dressed in the casual black business attire and red tie of the Kuroihi. The twelve lines were divided into groups of six that were ten meters apart and facing each other. One end of the line was by the entrance of Hashi's compound while another end barely reached Hashi's front door.

Naturally, standing at the front door was Hashi, Hana, Keitaro, Haku and the man from yesterday. Out of everyone present, the only other ones in kimonos were Haku and Hana. Everyone else was in business suits. Naruto studied the kimono on Hana. As opposed to Naruto and Haku, who were given hakama and haori, Hana was given a simple pink sash that wrapped around her waist and culminated into a bow in the back. Simliar to Keitaro, she had tied her long hair back into a ponytail at the base of her head. Unlike Keitaro, though, he had used a ribbon instead of a rubber band to do so.

"It's about time," Hashi said impatiently while Naruto closed the front door behind him. Naruto scanned the heavily occupied courtyard and asked, "So who's this guest we keep hearing about?"

"Not guest," Hashi corrected, "_Guests_, and you'll know who they are when they get here. Remember our discussion yesterday?"

"Okay, I'll wait," Naruto grumbled quietly. Hashi bit his lip and instructed, "Good, now get in line by Haku."

Naruto nodded and walked over to Haku, who stood at the end of the line by the man from yesterday. Haku had not looked at Naruto once since he came outside. When Naruto took his place by Haku, Haku didn't even glance in his direction. Instead, he stared straight ahead to the front gate where the gate's guards stood ever present.

A few minutes went by before an ox pulled carriage appeared at the end of the street. It approached the gates at a steady pace, surrounded by twelve broad shouldered men in the familiar Kuroihi black suit. Three of them were armed with broad swords while the rest were armed with the usual affair of katana.

The largest of the guards stopped the cart at the gate to speak with the two men stationed by the iron bars before signaling to the carriage to continue. The guards opened the gate to allow the carriage onto the courtyard. It stopped short of the gate so one of the escorts could open the door.

A cane was the first thing to appear out of the carriage, followed shortly by a thin, old man with graying hair that was trimmed short and combed to the side. He wore a familiar form fitting white kimono with a red sash that hung around his waist. Despite his hunched over posture and a hooked shaped nose, he had a smile on his face that reflected years of wisdom and experience. The escort lowered the old man to the ground so he could place some weight on his cane, but the old man staggered and had to lean against the carriage for support.

The second one to come out was much younger by comparison, perhaps in his mid thirties. While the old man gave off an air of absolute power yet infinite wisdom from experience, the youth carried himself more arrogantly. The young man had two katana tied around his waist and a wakizashi that protruded from underneath pant leg, clearly a failed attempt at concealment. Unlike everyone else present, who opted to comb or tie back their hair to look formal, the young man's hair was unkempt and messy. If anything, he looked like he threw on the suit after just getting out of bed. He slouched the second he was on the ground and walked over to the elderly man.

The old man immediately wrapped his left hand around the youth's hand while holding his cane with his right. The two advanced forward while their escorts took up positions on either side. As they processed down the courtyard, Hashi's guards bowed in respect and dropped their katana. The old man's escorts glanced at each other before sizing up the Hashi's guards. Smiles appeared, satisfaction the obvious cause.

Their procession stopped in front of Hashi, who bowed as low as he could. Keitaro, Hana, Haku, and the man from yesterday followed Hashi's action by bowing as well. Naruto concluded the old man was a noble of some kind and copied everyone else by bowing in respect. The old man nodded assuringly, to allow Hashi to rise. Hashi was upright first, followed shortly by Hana, Keitaro, Haku, the man from yesterday, Naruto, and the guards.

"Welcome _Chairman_," Hashi greeted the old man. Naruto's jaw dropped. This old man, who relied heavily on a cane to walk, was the head of the Kuroihi Syndicate? One of the most powerful criminal organizations in all of existence was led by this old codger who barely seemed fit to walk? Naruto recalled many stories as a child about an enigmatic man who led the Kuroihi. He was supposed to rival the Third Hokage in strength, but the old man Naruto saw before him barely seemed able to stand on his own two feet. This old man was probably more powerful in terms of his influence, but there was no way he could physically rival the Third. The old man was just too weak.

This proved true from the cracking noise that filled the air when the _chairman_ opened his mouth to answer, "Why the formalities Hashi? We've been friends for ages! Is my first name not good enough to say?"

"No, but we must have a sense of professionalism, right?" Hashi answered. The old man laughed, "Professionalism is nothing more than the intelligent flaunting their hubris. You should know that better than anyone, Hashi."

"As you wish," Hashi answered. He turned away from the chairman and faced the young man, "You've certainly gotten sturdier. To think, you would have your own operation at this age."

"Thank you, Boss Hashi," the young man answered. He bowed as low as he could before the chairman pulled him back up, "Don't forget you're status! He bows to you, not the other way around"

"Of course, _Chairman_," he answered apologetically, "I'm sorry."

The chairman shook his head disdainfully, clearly unimpressed by the man's display of submissiveness to those he outranked. The chairman's eyes traveled to Keitaro whom he greeted much more formally, "Good day to you, Keitaro."

"And to you, chairman," Keitaro answered. The old man rolled his eyes, "How are things with you and your clan?"

This question surprised Naruto. Naruto had never seen Keitaro with any subordinates, so how could he have a clan?

"They're going smoothly now," Keitaro answered, "I needed Boss Hashi's permission to resolve an issue with one of the Wakashu. He finally allowed me to deal with the problem but it created a lot of collateral damage."

Permission? Wakashu? Collateral Damage? What did any of that mean? Naruto considered the fact that Hashi and Keitaro had kept in the dark a lot when it came to affairs concerning the Synidcate. It bothered him to be so close to the gang and yet so distant from them.

"Good, good," the chairman answered, nodding to his companion, "You could learn a lot from Keitaro. Keitaro, this boy still has difficulty holding his own clan together."

An uncomfortable silence followed. The young man's eyes darted from Keitaro to the chairman despairingly, "Sorry."

The chairman ignored this and moved on to Hana. She smiled brightly, which made the old man smile back, "You've certainly become a beautiful woman, Hana. It's hard to believe that it's only been ten years."

Her face turned a bright hue of pink. Her voice quivered in embarrassment as she laughed, "I have, haven't I?"

The chaiman nodded in agreement, "Yes. Ten years ago, even I could have carried you on my shoulders up and down Hashi's manor. I remember we used to do that until you threw up."

Her face became a deep shade of red as her eyes darted to Keitaro for a second, "You said you wouldn't bring that up!"

"I did?" the chairman half asked, half said through bits of chuckling. As he calmed down, the chairman said to Hashi, "Hashi, I wish I could talk some more but it's been a long trip and a man my age shouldn't be moving around so much. Would it be alright if I waited in your study?"

"Make yourselves at home," Hashi answered, "We'll wait here for the rest of the guests to arrive."

The chairman nodded and proceeded into the house, followed closely by his young companion and the twelve escorts. Once they were out of sight, Naruto immediately turned to Hashi, "He's the chairman?"

Hashi nodded, "Don't let his appearance fool you. He's the leader of the Kuroihi and one of the greatest people you will ever meet. He's a man of respect, of real virtue, which is something you just don't see these days. He's what's called a dying breed; one of a kind."

"Is he really that great?" Naruto asked. Hashi smiled, "He made the Kuroihi what it is today. Without him, we would have been nothing more than another bosuzoku wandering the streets."

The sound of the gates clanging open again brought everyone's attention to the front gate. A trio of gangly looking men proceeded past the gate and down the stone path to Hashi. Like before, Hashi's guards bowed in respect as the trio walked past. The man in the center caught Naruto's attention, though, because he wore a white suit instead of black and the only piece of red on his attire was a flower on the left breast pocket.

He and his two escorts stopped in front of Hashi and bowed before proceeding inside without so much as a hello. A sense of anger filled Naruto as the man walked past him. Naruto didn't know why, but there was something about the man that Naruto didn't like. Haku obviously shared the same thoughts since he made no effort to hide his own disgust.

As the man disappeared, another group arrived consisting of two people: a man and a woman. The man wore the usual Kuroihi suit while the woman wore a gray skirt and white blouse. They advanced quickly down path to Hashi's manor, again with every guard bowing as they walked by. The duo stopped short of Hashi and bowed.

"Sempai," the duo spouted in unison before walking into Hashi's manor.

Once they had disappeared inside Hashi's manor, a man in a long brown trench coat appeared at the gate holding a brief case in each hand and a duffel bag over his shoulder. Huge bags formed under the man's eyes, where a pair of glasses has sunken into the tender flesh. The Kuroihi suit underneath his coat was ruffled and worn; his shirt was untucked, his belt was undone, the pants and coat were covered in a fine layer of dust, and his hair struck up wildly into the air. Much like with the chairman, Hashi's guards bowed as this man walked past.

He glanced back and forth at the guards, nervously keeping his distance from both sides while keeping a fast yet steady pace. Upon reaching Hashi, the man bowed and whispered something in Hashi's ear. Hashi' eyes widened in surprise and he whispered back into the man's ear. Hashi's face contorted into a mix of seriousness, anger and anxiety. His eyes took on a familiar lethal tone he had seen many times before: a cold, calculating look that reminded him of a shinigami. Hashi finished whatever he was saying and pulled away, adding, "Get this done right away."

The man looked over his shoulder and nodded. He looked at Keitaro and Hana before disappearing into the manor.

"Naruto, Hana, Yahiko," Hashi said quietly, "I need to speak with you three inside."

"Okay," Naruto and Hana answered in unison. Naruto leaned back to see the unnamed man who nodded quietly. Naruto had heard that name before: Yahiko. It was merely a question of where? Hashi motioned for the three of them to follow him inside and walked to the door. As the four of them went inside, Hashi looked over his shoulder and said, "Keitaro, I want you and Haku to put the entire compound in lock down, understood?

"Of course, Boss," Keitaro answered. He put his thumb and index finger in his mouth and let out a loud, shrill whistle, "Alright boys! Get this place up and running again! I want everyone at their posts! I want live exploding tags! I want those gates sealed off and barricaded! I want the dogs loose and weapons drawn! I want all of this done ten minutes ago!"

The guards quickly broke their ranks and scrambled up and down the grounds to their assigned duties.

……………

Hashi's office was much more organized than it had been when Naruto first saw it. The once cluttered desk had been cleared of all the documents and folders that were lazily left there a few days ago. Hashi took his seat behind the desk while Naruto, Yahiko and Hana took seats in the chairs opposite the desk.

"I'll keep this brief because the meeting will start as soon as the last of the council get here," Hashi said quietly, "It has come to my attention that there has been a recent complication within our ranks. I was just informed that there are some _business_-related complications. Hana, Naruto, you two both know that I won't be going into any specifics for your own safety as civilians. I want the both of you to know, that if this complication cannot resolved either diplomatically or peacefully, that you two will have to go into hiding."

"Okay," Hana answered quietly. Naruto, however, didn't answer so, "Hold on, Hashi-sensei! What's the complication?"

"Naruto, we went over this," Hashi countered, "I can't tell you for your own safety."

"But if it concerns us," Naruto responded, "Don't we have a right to know?"

Hashi shook his head, "You still don't get it, do you? This has nothing to do with you Naruto. The only way it concerns you two is that you two will become collateral damage if precautions aren't taken."

"But-" Naruto began, only to be stopped by Hashi, "No buts! I want the two of you to go to stay in your rooms for the remainder of the day. I'm going to keep two guards stationed at your door at all times. If either of you need anything, let them know."

Naruto looked at Hana, and then Yahiko. Hana smiled assuringly while Yahiko looked away, seemingly more interested in the view out Hashi's window. Sighing in resignation Naruto rose from his seat and went outside, Hana following shortly after him. Naruto spent the rest of the day in his bedroom. After a quick change of clothes into his more fitting orange suit, Naruto fell backwards onto his bed and fell asleep.

……………

**Author's Notes: **All done and finished with. I really liked how this chapter came out, despite it's heavy OC-centricness The next chapter for Oyabun will appear on Friday June 20th. If you loved the chapter, drop a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and speculations about the next chapter. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	18. Dissent Amongst the Kuroihi

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates or any related subjects

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates or any related subjects. This chapter contains the contents of Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Those contents are his sole property and no one else's.

**Author's Notes: **Hi Everyone! Thanks again for all those wonderful reviews you guys keep leaving. I'm glad that so many people stayed with the story even though I've yet to move into the next phase of the story which has been bugging me, and a lot of you I bet. Not to worry though. This is the last chapter before the start of the Chunin Exam Arc. The quality of this chapter may be a little weak since I didn't get to proof read it I'd like to thank those of you who stayed with this story up to this point. Thank you!

And now, as is custom, I'd like to respond to some reviews:

**blood-angel 666: **Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. I know the story has come to a slow crawl, but don't worry. This is the last chapter where Naruto is at Hashi's.

**DarkRavie: **Well you won't have to wait any longer, cause here it is. I hope you enjoy it.

**Akira Stridder: **Well here it is. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

**Peter Kim: **A military unit can challenge Madara and the Akatsuki, but said military unit would require skill that can rival jounin.

**Senyor Fier Mensheir: **I thank you for the compliment. I'll keep working on this story as long as people continue to read it.

**Akina no Hashiriya:** I'm glad you liked it. There might be an assassination. I'm not entirely sure yet.

And now, I present to you the reason you came in the first place: the continuation of Oyabun.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 18: Dissent Amongst the Kuroihi**

Naruto jolted up in bed, a sharp pain in his bladder. For a moment, Naruto weighed which was more uncomfortable: how tired he was or how badly he had to go to the bathroom. Eventually, his bladder got the better of him and he climbed out of bed to relieve himself. He opened the door of his room to find the guards Hashi ordered to stand guard outside his room. Neither of them seemed to notice his appearance.

Naruto looked at the two of them as they stared blankly at the wall on the other side of the hall way. Naruto cracked a tired yawn, partly to get their attention but mostly because he was still sleepy, which also failed to draw their notice. Shrugging, Naruto walked past them only to be grabbed by the shoulder, "Where are you going, kid?"

"Bathroom," Naruto answered, rolling his eyes at the guard. The guard The guard scowled, "Use the other one."

"Why?" Naruto demanded squeamishly, the pain in his bladder stabbing away at him. The guard sighed and massaged his temples, "That hallway goes right by the Boss's office. There's an important meeting going on in there right now. Do you really think we'd be stupid enough to let you go right by?"

"A little bit," Naruto retorted, "Yeah."

The guard clicked his tongue angrily and said, "Very funny. Use the one down that end of the hallway."

"But that's all the way on the other side of the manor!" Naruto retorted. The guard scoffed, "That's not my problem, now, is it twirp?"

Naruto growled at the comment but decided it would be better to let it go. The pain in his bladder was not getting any easier to handle. He marched off in the opposite direction, moving as quickly as he could. Each step was agonizing torture as he made his way to the bathroom. Why did couldn't they just let him use the one closest to his room? It's not like Naruto was going to eavesdrop on them. He was pretty sure that other _things_ required his immediate attention.

After an agonizing run down the hall, Naruto finally reached the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He emerged moments later, both refreshed and relieved. Deciding that he was no longer in any rush, Naruto took his time walking back and even took several _detours_. He was traveling down the hallway leading to the main entrance when he suddenly heard voices. As he drew closer to the entrance, he heard one voice say, "When will the meeting be over? I want to talk to dad."

Naruto paused. Wasn't that Hana's voice? What was she doing out of her room. Wasn't she supposed to stay in there for the rest of the day? Why was she out and more importantly, who was she talking too?

"Be patient," came Keitaro's voice, "You know these meetings drag on for a whole day, maybe more."

Naruto blinked and edged closer to the corner. What was Hana doing with Keitaro? Alone, no less. They weren't in the middle of…NO! Naruto stopped himself, cursing at the perverted thought. Was he some kind of sicko. Naruto hoped he wasn't, but with these kind of thoughts floating into his head so much it was kind of hard to tell. Naruto shook his head furiously and returned his attention to the conversation before him.

"But this is the first time that the manor went on lock down the same day," Hana answered, an upset tone in her voice, "What exactly is going on?"

"You know I can't tell you."

"But Kei…" she began. Kei? Naruto struggled to hold back a laugh. Kei? Was that Keitaro's nickname? Kei? Naruto covered his hand with his mouth to force back a laugh, but ended up making gagging noises from being unable to control his laughter. Kei, that name was too funny for it's own good.

"The last time this happened…and…you know."

An awkward silence overtook them. During that silence, Naruto realized he was peering down the stairs and watching Keitaro and Hana. Hana had her back to Keitaro, who casually kept his hands in his pockets. What the heck was wrong with him? This was supposed to a private conversation between two people and here he was spying on them. Then again, it was almost like something taken straight out of the infamous Icha Icha series. Besides, if they didn't want anyone to listen in, wouldn't it have made more sense to go somewhere more private?

"Hana," Keitaro said, inching closer, "I know you're worried, and I appreciate your concern, but Boss Hashi can take care of himself and so can I.

"But Kei," Hana spun around to face him, "How can we know for certain this time? Every time something like this happens, it seems that the calls just get closer and closer."

"Hana," Keitaro went on, "We've known each other since we were kids, right? Even then, people wanted me dead and there were plenty of close calls. Why are you getting so worked up now?"

"I don't know," Hana answered, "I've just had this weird feeling ever since you got back from the Land of Waves. I don't know why, but there's something wrong. You know what I'm talking about don't you?"

"Yeah," Keitaro replied, "I know what you mean. I don't know all the details, and the ones I do know are the ones I can't tell you."

"Not even a little bit," Hana said, leaning in on Keitaro. She drew him into a quick little kiss, which sent a strange surge of comfort and energy into Naruto. The two just seemed so natural around each other that it was almost unbecoming of his impressions of the two. Hana always seemed quiet and self contained while Keitaro was always serious and lethal. Despite that, they seemed so casual around each other in a way that they normally didn't seem capable of. Despite that, Naruto found it disturbing that he seemed to enjoy spying on these two. He tried to deny the thought that he was a pervert, but deep down some inkling of him felt that he almost indefinitely was.

"I hate it when you do that," Keitaro said as he pulled away from Hana. A small giggle from her accompanied his remark which made Keitaro smirk. Hana suddenly added, "You may be a _tough gangster_, Kei, but you're still a guy. So are you going to tell me?"

"No," Keitaro answered. Naruto was disappointed. He wanted to know what was going on just as much as the next person and thought that maybe Hana would be able to coerce Keitaro into telling her. Clearly, she could not, but that didn't stop Hana from moving close to Keitaro. Keitaro sternly said, "Do whatever you want Hana, I'm not telling you."

"But Keitarooooooooooo," she said childishly, turning her back to him and holding her face in her hands. Keitaro groaned in frustration before saying, "You're not going to get me that way. Not again."

Hana sniffed, "You don't tell me anything."

She started whimpering, which finally seemed to make Keitaro crack. He sighed angrily and said, "Oh geez. Okay, okay. I'll tell you, just not here."

An excited cheer came from Hana, followed by a groan from Keitaro that sounded something like, "I hate it when she cries…fake or real."

There were soft steps that told Naruto they were approaching him. Naruto panicked, what if they found him? It was bad enough that they would catch him for being outside his room, so what if they caught him spying on them? He scrambled to his feet, hoping that he could find some place to stay hidden. Unfortunately, Hashi had a habit of keeping his hallways sparse and empty with the exception of some lamps and curtains to cover the windows. Naruto flushed when he suddenly realized how much trouble he would be in. He could make a dash for his room, but that would require approaching his room from the other direction. The guards would know he had wandered off if he left his room going one way and came back coming from another. He could take the long way around, but that would require going right past Keitaro and Hana.

What was he going to do? What should he do? What could he do? At that moment, Naruto spotted a lone door that he had never seen before. Dashing towards it, Naruto quietly threw the door open and closed it softly behind him. He placed his ear against the wood to hear the sound of their foot steps drew closer, prompting Naruto to hold his breath to avoid detection. He waited as their foot steps gradually disappeared into oblivion.

He breathed a sigh of relief and slid to the ground. No longer worried about detection, Naruto examined the room he was in. Shelves of books lined the walls that went all the way to the ceiling where a single lamp hung precariously from a rusted chain. Stacks upon stacks of books and paperwork were scattered across the floor, leaving Naruto to conclude that he had taken refuge in Hashi's study.

There was an arm chair in the corner of the room by a large window that over looked the grounds around Hashi's dojo. Through that window, Naruto was able to watch the guards patrolling the marked paths while the younger members sparred with each other outside the dojo. Those sparring were drawing a crowd of men on their break.

Naruto decided to pull the chair up to the window so he cold watch the fight below, but stopped when he noticed a thin, lone book already seated on the cushion. The title read The Art of War.

Naruto picked up the book and examined it carefully. It was short, probably only twenty or thirty pages thick, and very dusty. The binding was cracked right down the center and the cover was half-eaten. Inside, the pages were a faded yellow, clearly from being read too much, while the ink was smudged but still readable. Someone had poorly scribbled: _Property of Momiji Hashi_ on the front cover right underneath the title. The blonde repeated the title to himself before opening to the first page:

The Art of War

Sun Tzu

1. Laying Plans

_The art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected. The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken in account of one's deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field. These are:_

_1) The Moral Law_

_2) Heaven_

_3) Earth_

_4) The Commander_

_5) Method and Discipline_

_The moral law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger. Heaven signifies night and day, cold and heat, times and seasons. Earth compromises dis…_

Naruto's mind wandered off from losing immediate interest in the book. It was like one of the text books back in the academy only it was shorter. The only plus side was that the words were large enough to be read from a few feet away instead of being small and indiscernible which is what most text books had. Still, if the words were that big, then it had to be a pretty short book and Naruto had plenty of time to kill.

Naruto reluctantly propped the book open again and continued reading.

…_Earth compromises distance, great and small, danger and security; open ground and narrow passes; the chances of life and death. The commander stands for the virtue of wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage and strictness. Method and discipline are to be understood as the marshalling of the army in its proper subdivisions, the gradations of rank amongst officers, the maintenance of roads by which supplies may reach the army, and the control of military expenditure._

_These five heads should be familiar to every general: he who knows them will be victorious, he who knows them not will fail._

Those words was all it took to hook Naruto's attention: 'He who knows them not will fail'. Well known in Konoha for his one track mind for proving he was not a failure, Naruto instantaneously found himself thinking: Did five things actually make up whether or not a person failed? Perhaps in battle, like the book suggested, but the phrasing almost seemed to suggest this applied to other situations. But that couldn't be true: there was no way to apply these factors in a social situation. One could not win the heart of another by knowing about weather, distance, or marshalling soldiers. One could not gain friends by controlling how one handled money. The book was useful in battle, but was useless to a person like himself.

What need was there to know how to win war? It was not like he planned on waging any.

Naruto dropped the book and walked to the door. He was halfway to the door when he stopped in his tracks by a new thought that just crossed his mind. What if the five factors were categories as opposed to factors? That is to say: was it possible that the five factors could be reinterpreted?

It was a stretch, and a bit of a long shot, but Iruka-sensei had always said: 'A ninja must see beneath the beneath.'

Naruto walked back to the arm chair and picked up the book again. After a quick scan of the first page, he found his place and started reading:

…_them not will fail._

_Therefore in your deliberations, when seeking to determine the military conditions, let them be made by the basis of comparison, in this manner:_

_1) Which of the two sovereigns is imbued with the moral law?_

_2) Which of the two generals has the most ability?_

_3) With whom lie the advantages laid from heaven and earth?_

_4) On which side is discipline more rigorously enforced?_

_5) Which army is the stronger?_

_6) On which side are the officers and men more highly trained?_

_7) In which army is the greater constancy both in reward and punishment?_

_By means of these seven considerations, one can forecast victory or defeat._

Against his better judgment, Naruto found himself placing the book in his pocket. He quickly walked out the door and returned to his room, where the two guards were waiting impatiently.

"Where were you?" the guard asked angrily.

"Bathroom," Naruto answered as he slammed the door and locked it. Jumping on his bed, Naruto propped the book open and went on with reading the book. He was so immersed in it that he did not realize that the sun had set by the time he finished. As he set the book down, he asked himself how something so complex could be summed up in only forty pages. More importantly, it had been summed up well. There was so much detail and analysis in the book alone, yet there was none of the complexity or the dullness of a text book. Even he was able to understand it, which was something of a miracle. Naruto once remembered how Naruto lacked any focus and often fell asleep when he was supposed to be reading his book.

He set the book down on the dresser, making a mental note to return it to the study later, and turned the lights to his room on. He fell back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling for some time while thinking about the contents of the book. It had made so many valid points, without glorifying or denouncing war. It was a manual on how to wage war, while at the same time was a commentary on its purpose.

FWOOSH!

The loud noise echoed outside and shook his room. Naruto jumped off his bed, panic etched on his face. He dashed to his window where a soft orange glow poured in and lit up the darkened room. He threw open the curtains to find a mob of Hashi's guards running back and forth with their weapons drawn, illuminated by the search lights atop the roof.

A small fire was alight by one of the windows along the Eastern Wing of the manor. Some of the guards threw buckets of water and their coats to put out the fire while others shoveled dirt on it. After a few minutes, the fire was extinguished save for some smoldering ashes. Once the fire was out, some of the guards dragged a green suited man forward. He struggled with them, fighting desperately to loosen their grip on him. Eventually he kicked one of his captors in the groin and was able to use a wakizashi to stab the other. Running into the heart of the mob, he growled, "KUROIHI BASTARDS! I'LL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU! GET IN LINE AND I'LL TAKE YOU ALL ONE ON-"

CRACK!

"SHUT UP!"

One of the guards hit him in the back of the head with a baseball bat, sending the intruder face first onto the ground and the other guards into a frenzy. With the man incapacitated, two guards opened up the man's white dress shirt. Underneath it, on his exposed torso was a tattoo of a purple flower in full bloom. There was some distress amongst the guards which was silenced when Keitaro appeared on the scene.

Keitaro told two men to bring the man inside and loudly said, "You all have a job! Why isn't anyone doing theirs!?"

The guards disperse as soon as he finished, many rushing off in the same direction. Three other guards ran to Keitaro, bowed, and started talking quickly before Keitaro said something that made them stop. Instantaneously, the men bowed and ran off to another part of the manor. They returned some time later with a katana which they presented to Keitaro and a scroll. Keitaro pointed them to the eastern of the manor before running for the front door.

Just then, Hashi walked out and stopped Keitaro in his tracks. The two started talking to each other quickly. Hashi was frequently scratching his head while Keitaro kept pointing at random directions along the grounds. The two then parted ways but Hashi stopped in his tracks before they got too far and shouted, "KEITARO! ALIVE!"

Keitaro nodded and ran off, while Hashi reentered the manor. Naruto continued to survey the scene outside, watching with keen interest as the guards started to pull large crates out of Hashi's dojo. They started lining the crates up on the ground and using crowbars to pry the wooden lids off.

Before he could see the contents of the boxes, a soft knock pulled Naruto away from the window and towards his door. Naruto cleared his throat and answered, "Who is it?"

"Hashi," came the voice from the other side. Naruto cracked a yawn and opened his door. Waiting outside was a rather disgruntled Hashi, whom leaned quietly against the door frame with his hands in his pockets. Hashi cracked his eyes open and looked at Naruto skeptically, "I'm sorry to bother you, Naruto. Were you asleep?"

"Not really," the blonde answered, "What's going on out there?"

Hashi shook his head, "Some bad business Naruto. That's all I can tell you."

Naruto understood without questio. It frustrated the blonde, but knew that Hashi only wanted Naruto to be safe. Hashi strode into Naruto's room and stared out the window, "You and my daughter will be going into hiding until we can sort out these complications."

"Okay," Naruto said, sitting down on his bed, "Where are you sending us?"

Hashi hesitated, "Certain issues have arisen lately. Because of all these issues, there's only one location where we can guarantee your safety."

"Where?" Naruto asked again. Hashi looked his way before groaning, "Konohagakure no Sato…The Hidden Leaf Village."

"What!?" Naruto jumped off his bed. How would hiding amongst the people who wanted him dead guarantee his safety? He was an S-Rank criminal to that village. A _dead_ criminal, but a criminal none the less. If Naruto were to return now, they would know he faked his death and would be unlikely to believe a second suicide. Hiding him amongst Konoha's citizens and shinobi would be a death sentence.

"How is hiding in Konoha safe!?" Naruto reasoned, "They wanted to kill me, remember?"

Hashi looked at him, his face contorted between pain and anger, "The chairman and I have talked about that. Due to the circumstances, he's willing to let-"

He stopped himself, taking a cigarette out of his breast pocket and placing it in his mouth. After fiddling in his pockets, he produced a silver lighter which he used to light the cigarette in his mouth. He took a short puff on it and breathed the smoke into the air. All the while, Naruto as impatiently tapping his foot with his arms folded across his chest.

"Hashi-sensei," Naruto snarled under his breath. Hashi tapped the ashes into a trash can, "He's willing to place you under his immediate protection as a Shatei."

"A shatei?" Naruto asked. Hashi nodded and threw the butt of his cigarette out the window. He reached into his pocket for another cigarette, "You'll be far enough from the main clan to avoid arrest and affiliation from _authorities_, but close enough to avoid trouble from other syndicates. It's not a guaranteed safety though. At best, there's a 4 in 5 chance of getting killed but it is the best option we have at this point."

"Aren't there any other options?" Naruto asked. Anything was better than returning to Konoha. He would even have preferred hiding in a mud hole. At least in a mud hole, no one would be actively trying to kill him. Unfortunately, Hashi shook his head, "Normally yes. But there were some…_arguments_ about Orochimaru's offer. Not everyone agreed with the chairman's decision. So until everything gets sorted out, the only place where we can guarantee your safety is the Chunin Exam, which is being held in Konoha."

"The Chunin Exam?" Naruto asked, "Keitaro told me about that! He said it was some kind of large draw for money."

"That's right," Hashi said, "There will be ninja there from every shinobi village, and even more tourists. There's a lot of gambling between these tourists on who'll win the matches and, ultimately, the tournaments. It's good business. So good, that no one in their right would disturb it without risking retaliation from the Syndicates."

"So it's safer simply because of the timing," Naruto concluded. Hashi nodded, throwing his cigarette out the window and getting another out of his pocket, "Right. Once the exams are over though, you'll be relocated to a newer safe house. Now get some clothes together. You, Hana, and Yahiko will be leaving first thing in the morning. He has to return there to finish up preparations for the tourists anyway."

"What about Haku?" Naruto asked. Hashi took another drag on his cigarette, "Didn't he tell you? He's working with us to tie up some loose ends."

"No, he didn't," Naruto murmured. Haku had been keeping his distance. Naruto knew that. But Naruto thought that at least Haku, of all people, would have been more understanding. Naruto didn't know what happened or how it happened. A great weight started pulling inside Naruto's chest. Someone like Haku, who had experienced such a similar situation, was in no position to alienate Naruto.

"I thought you two were friends," Hashi said.

"I thought so too," Naruto gritted between his teeth.

Hashi looked his way, an apologetic look on his face. Although Naruto didn't know it, there was an angry look on his face. It was then that Hashi saw something he had long ago dismissed as the delusion of fatigue: Naruto's eyes took on a red color while the pupils contorted into animal like slits. Just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished.

"Don't worry about it," Hashi said patronizingly, "He probably just forgot to tell you."

"Yeah…forgot," Naruto repeated quietly. Hashi patted Naruto on the head and proceeded towards the door. Naruto glanced down at his dresser and saw Hashi's book still resting where he left.

"Hashi-sensei?" Naruto said. Hashi cast Naruto an anticipating look. Naruto flinched but immediately picked up the book, "I borrowed this book from your study."

Hashi looked at the book in Naruto's hand and chuckled, "You can keep it if you want it."

"Really?" Naruto asked, disbelievingly/

"I don't need it Naruto," Hashi said, "I memorized every line in that book. You have good taste, that's a very intelligent read."

Naruto was befuddled by Hashi's words, but agreed whole heartedly. The book was short, but it taught him more in one afternoon than all his years in the academy combined. Naruto smiled at his achievement, which was met by another pat on the head by Hashi.

"Remember this: Action means nothing without respect to principle," Hashi said. Before Naruto could figure out what Hashi meant by that comment, he had gone out the door.

……………

**Author's Notes: **And so, there you have it! Another exciting chapter of Oyabun. The next chapter will appear three weeks on July 11th. If you loved the chapter, drop a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and speculations about the next chapter. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	19. I’m Konohamaru! The Next Hokage!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates or any related subjects.

**Author's Notes: **A serious thanks to everyone who left reviews for the last chapter of Oyabun. The people who enjoy reading this story are the very reason I keep writing. As I promised, this is the first chapter of the start of the Chunin Exam Arc. I want to thank you readers who were patient and stuck with the story during the transition between the Land of Waves Arc and the Chunin Exam Arc. I know it was a long and frivolous journey, but we're finally here and I hope you enjoy it. I'm sorry that there was a longer gap between the chapters but I needed some time to work out technical issues, with my computer, and personal issues, with friends. These issues took up a lot of time and not all of them are resolved at the moment. Despite that, this chapter is over 11 pages alone, not counting the disclaimer and author's notes. I didn't have time to proof read this chapter properly so please forgive any mistakes or typos. Now, as is common place, I would like to respond to some reviews.

**LightningStreaker:** I'm glad you liked the chapters even though they were slow and actionless. Naruto will still play a role during the chunin exams that will still affect the other characters. Primarily: Sasuke, Sakura and Hinata are some of the characters to name a few.

**Ghostboy814: **Et tu? Personally, I enjoyed reading the 'Art of War' and it was equal parts intellectual and simple. I compiled several different versions so I could cite one that made sense, but I don't thin

**DarkRavie: **Naruto and Haku are still friends, they're just on...negotiable terms. Everyone needs a friend but in Naruto's case: He always has a way of making more.

**Akira Stridder: **Yes...yes it is. Even worse is they don't know that.

**Peter Kim: **Why is everyone obsessed with killing Sasuke? What did he ever do to deserve it that can't also be blamed on Danzou?

**Infernal Maelstrom: **Intellectual? I'm flattered. I thank you deeply for that compliment.

**Ninja Master: **Thank you very much. I must ask though, what is chs? IS that a typo?

**Urghazi: **I'm happy that you enjoy the story. Naruto has had a depressing life, I'll admit, and a question I always wondered was: What if he grew up to be something else. The irony is: most Yakuza have a background similar to Naruto's – a childhood as an outcast desperately seeking for acceptance in a world full of the intolerant.

And so, I present to you the continuation of Oyabun:

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 19: I'm Konohamaru! The Next Hokage!**

Naruto's eyes widened at the village gates, his heart skipping a beat. He glanced down at his clothes: the cloak and rice hat he wore in the Land of Waves, over his usual orange attire, plus the katana he had grown to love and a backpack on his back. As they came closer, he began to panic. What if the ninja guards recognized him? Would they fall for this disguise? Trying his best to remain calm, Naruto followed Yahiko and Hana right past the guardhouse without earning so much as a second glance. In fact, Naruto swore that he had seen Yahiko drop a series of ryou bills at the guard's feet. It flustered Naruto to even see such a depraved act from a ninja; specifically a ninja from a village that tried to arrest him on similar charges: "Association with a Yakuza". Hypocrites! That's what they were! They wasted resources by having an ANBU track him down but made no effort to arrest the criminals within their own ranks. Still, Naruto had to be grateful. If this ninja were not here, they might not have been able to get into the village without much hassle. Even if it was a disgrace to all these ninja stood for.

Naruto shook his mind free of these thoughts, and observed the main village streets. It was amazing how lively the village was for the Chunin Exam. Tourists walked up and down the streets to find their inns or a nice little store to get souvenirs for their friends. Shop keepers and store owner put up signs declaring sales and half off goods. Young children played busily in the city streets, trying to entertain themselves as their parents went shopping. What really occurred to Naruto, though, was the unmistakably heavy Yakuza presence. Up and down the street, Naruto could see Yakuza interlaced with the tourists but huddled into groups of their own kind. Needless to say, the black suited Kuroihi kept to their members and stood to the side of the street by the entrance of several businesses.

There were other Yakuza present. While the Kuroihi were identified by their black business suits, other groups identified themselves by different colored attire. Some wore Olive suits, while others were clad in white. Regardless, the most numerous were the Kuroihi in their black and another group adorned in green. These two factions shot each other death glances from across the street, while always having some friends nearby. Keeping pace beside Yahiko, Naruto asked, "Who are the guys in green?"

"The Enkou Syndicate," Yahiko replied in a whisper, "Our main competitor. They're in the number two spot and have been there since the end of the last Great Shinobi War. I don't think they ever got over losing the top slot, so we try to avoid them if we can. Don't worry though, they don't cause too much trouble and its the Chunin Exam. They won't try anything. They're already on bad terms with every other Syndicate out there."

"WHAT'CHOO LOOKING AT KUROIHI!?" One of the Enkou's cried. He was answered with a loud, "YOUR UGLY FACE!"

"Let's make ourselves scarce," Yahiko suggested as he slipped into an alley. Naruto and Hana followed him, just as three shinobi appeared shouting, "Break it up!"

They picked up their pace, moving at a light jog, into the street on the other side of the alley. There was a flower shop across the road with a sign over head reading: "Yamanaka Flower Shop". As their group emerged out of the alleyway, a familiar pink haired kunoichi stepped out with a blonde girl. The two of them were glaring at each other distastefully but seemed quite at ease. Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino, the two biggest rivals from the academy. The two always competed over everything and anything: Who could get to the academy faster, who could get the higher test scores, who scored better during the physicals, who could be the first to attain Sasuke's attention. It was sickening, yet comical. The two wanted to be great kunoichi but were so wrapped up in their competitions that they had almost no time to improve their skill.

As the two started walking towards them, he lowered his rice hat to hide his face.

"Someone you know?" Yahiko asked quietly.

"She was with the team of genin in the Land of Waves," Naruto hissed quietly. As they walked past the two girls, Naruto felt Sakura's gaze fall on him. Naruto kept walking forwards, with his hat hiding his face and his eyes pointed straight ahead. As they left the two behind, Naruto heard Ino say, "Something wrong Sakura?"

"No...I just thought I saw something," Sakura replied. Naruto felt Sakura's gaze on him still, even after ten minutes past. It was the unnerving feeling of being followed. After a few minutes, Naruto looked back to find his suspicions confirmed. About thirty feet back was Haruno Sakura, who was maintaing a casual distance behind them to avoid detection but keeping pace enough to follow. Naruto winced angrily, "She's following us."

"Don't worry about it," Yahiko answered, "She's probably going the same direction we are. Besides, I doubt someone like her has much business where we're going."

"Where's that?" Naruto asked. He received his answer when he saw an office building he hadn't seen in some time. It was the same office that Hashi told him to go to if he ever ran into trouble from the villagers, with the exception that it was much dustier from last time. Ironic that he was being sent here now that he was in danger from the very Syndicate that wanted to protect him. Naruto smiled at the idea. Someone must really hate him if he had to keep going into hiding.

Yahiko and Hana entered the aged building, while Naruto stayed out in the busy street. Before walking inside, he looked down the direction they came. He clicked his tongue in anger when he saw a head of long, pink hair disappeared into an alley. Sakura was indeed following him. But why? What did he matter to her? He was dead, or had she denied that fact to herself. Was it possible that she really did harbor some feelings for him, but was playing hard to get all through the academy? A grin grew on his face, no one could resist the Uzumaki charm.

Naruto went inside, still entertaining the idea that Sakura held some feelings for him. And why wouldn't she? After all, he was pretty good looking if he said so himself. Certainly a lot better than Sasuke could ever hope to be. His ego aside, Naruto closed the door behind him and took off his rice hat, which was beginning to itch, and looked around.

The entrance room was almost like the waiting room, with a reception desk stacked with paperwork on the right side of the room and chairs lining the wall to the left. The window blinds were still down, so only a small beam of light was able to pour into the room, revealing a fine layer of dust on the ground. The doorway on the opposite side of the room led to a carpeted hallway lined with doors on both sides. A staircase at the end of the hallway went up to the second floor, where Naruto saw Yahiko carrying baggage up.

Throwing his bag's other strap over his shoulder, Naruto followed the man upstairs to a four bed bedroom. Hana was standing by a window, staring dreamily onto the street below, while Yahiko dropped Hana's luggage onto a bed into the far corner of the room whereas he left his own luggage by the stair case.

"Pick your bed Naruto," Yahiko instructed as he went back downstairs. Following the command, Naruto threw his baggage onto the nearest bed, _placed Kitsune_ on the nearby drawerand threw off his cloak and hat. He fell onto his bed and started staring lazily at the ceiling above. Did Sakura really like him? More importantly, did he still like her? There was no denying that if he was entertaining the idea of her liking him, then he did like her. But was it genuine? Did Naruto like her only because she was pretty, or did he actually like her? On a higher level. He sighed and rolled onto his side, staring at Hana who was now looking up at the sky.

"I need you downstairs Naruto," Yahiko suddenly declared, appearing at the door without much warning. Naruto jolted out of the bed in surprise, caught off guard by Yahiko's sudden burst. How badly had his ninja ability declined? A few months ago, he was able to detect a kunai that nearly killed him and Hashi-sensei. Now, Yahiko was able to sneak up on him.

"What for?" Naruto asked. Yahiko pointed downstairs and said, "Oyabun wants you to be a shatei for the Syndicate, remember?"

"Oh, okay," Naruto answered lazily, reluctantly rising off his bed. While he would have preferred to stay in bed and take a nap, there was still the process of becoming a shatei. But how bad could it be? Yahiko would probably just name Naruto a shatei and call it a day.

They reached the foot of the staircase and went through one of the doors into a dark room, lit only by a single lamp in the corner. A square table sat in the center of the room, whilst two pillows were placed on opposite ends. Yahiko went to the pillow on the far end of the table and said, "Sit, the process is a little long but since this isn't induction into the main family, there's no real need for formality. Just stay quiet and follow and instructions I give you."

Naruto kneeled down on the moth-eaten pillow, feeling the hard floor on his knees through the thin and worn pillow. Yahiko produced a large bottle of sake and two cups from underneath the table and set them down in the center. Taking the bottle, he filled the two cups with the bitter, red liquid and began, "Before you can be one of us, you must first understand us."

Naruto nodded, listening intently as Yahiko went on, "The Kuroihi Syndicate is more beneath the surface than criminals and outcasts. Long ago, clans of ronin and rorouni wandered the land in search of something they couldn't find: acceptance. If these clans ever found someone like themselves, one skilled in the martial arts but disfavored by the people, they welcomed the outcast with open arms as a brother. These outcast swordsmen became a family, whose bonds were stronger than any blood relation or romance. They were _Blood Brothers_, reborn into the clan. And in that same way, I invite you: Uzumaki Naruto – to be reborn as a member of the Dewaya Clan of the Sakurazaki Clan of the Kuroihi Syndicate."

Naruto nodded in agreement. Yahiko smirked and retrieved a scroll from underneath the table, "Do you, Uzumaki Naruto, swear your full alleigance to the Dewaya, the Sakurazaki, and the Kuroihi?"

"Yes," Naruto answered excitedly.

"Do you agree to uphold the law of the Four Families?"

"Yes."

"Do you swear to live your life by the seven virtues?"

"Yes."

"Will you live a life of rectitude? To live a life entirely to the moral law of the Clan, placing them above all else. To follow commands without question, regardless of your own code or ethics?"

Naruto hesitated. Did Yahiko seriously expect Naruto to agree to that? When he sae Yahiko raise an eyebrow, Naruto quickly forgot his worry and said, "I will."

Aparently satisfied, Yahiko went on, "Will you reflect the strength of courage? Can you face your own demons and fears, at the command of your Oyabun? Are you willing to commit acts of wrong and of right, all at your Oyabun's leisure?"

"Yes."

"Will you be a benevolent force in this world, doing what is right and fearing to do wrong, as dictated by the law of the Four Families?"

"I will."

"Will you regard these principles highly, matched only by the demands and will of your Oyabun and, ultimately, the Chairman."

"I will."

"Do you swear to always speak the truth to everyone and anyone, without breaking the code of silence. Will you bite your tongue around the enemy and the authority. To speak honestly, without revealing knowledge of the clan?"

"I swear."

"Will you never forsake your honor as a person, your honor as a swordsman, and your honor as a brother of the Dewaya? To live a dutiful life to your Oyabun and no one else."

"I will."

"And finally, will you swear allegiance to no one else but your Oyabun. To offer yourself completely to his will? Loyal to your beliefs, your family and your friends second?"

"I will."

Yahiko passed a glass of sake to Naruto and took a sip out of the other glass, "Drink it."

Naruto looked at the amber liquid in the glass. It smelled awful, and probably tasted a lot worse. He brought the cup to his lips and took a small sip of the liquid. A burning sensation filled his mouth, brining tears to his eyes. Chills ran down his whole body, screaming to spit it back into the cup. Against his better judgment and before he could stop himself, the liquid burst out of his mouth. Naruto wasn't able to understand how anyone as able to drink it so much. It smelled bad, tasted worse and burnt his mouth. Why did people enjoy drinking this stuff? Laughter from Yahiko wasn't even slightly comforting, "No one is ever able to hold it the first time."

Naruto brought the glass up to his lips a second time, aiming to swallow the drink before it got the better of him. To his surprise, though, the liquid didn't burn as much the second time. In fact, it was slightly bitter but not enough to be intolerable. He swallowed the sake in one gulp, and hiccuped a little bit. A minty, fruit flavored scent filled the air. The world around Naruto started to spin uncontrollably and his head started to ache. He placed the glass down on the table and leaned on it with his arm to support himself. He looked up at Yahiko who was watching with amusement.

Yahiko took Naruto's glass and refilled it with more sake. Once it was full, he poured the liquid out of Naruto's glass and into his own. Yahiko then poured the liquid back into Naruto's glass and passed it back, "By mixing blood, our forefathers were able to prove their loyalty and brotherhood. Today, we use sake as a symbolic substitute. Drink it."

Naruto took the glass and brought it to his lips. Unwittingly, Naruto found himself drinking the whole glass. Once it was gone, he set it down on the table and looked at Yahiko. Yahiko nodded approvingly and said, "Uzumaki Naruto. I welcome you as a shatei of the Kuroihi and a member of the Dewaya."

Naruto tried to pull himself up, but found it a little difficult. When he was finally able to get back on his feet, the world started spinning uncontrollably and quickly. He tried his best stay on his feet but the world didn't seem to agree with that. Suddenly, Naruto found himself stumbling over onto the ground.

"Everytime," Naruto heard Yahiko say.

"Let's get you upstairs so you can sleep it off," was the last thing Naruto heard before he drifted into the warming comfort of darkness and silence.

...

When Naruto came around some time later, his head was aching terribly and his eyes were tearing. Outside, the noise of the busy street outside echoed into the room and magnified itself in his already painful head. Wanting to make the noise go away, Naruto pulled the pillow over his head but all it did was hush the noise. It did little to make the aching go away. The noise of the door creaking open also didn't help, since it sent Naruto into a spasm of pain and aching.

"Well, looks like you're finally awake," Yahiko's voice boomed. Whimpering in a bare whisper, Naruto said, "Why are you being so loud?"

"I'm not being loud Naruto," Yahiko answered, "You're just hungover from the sake. Don't feel too bad though, no one is ever able to hold it their first time."

"Please," Naruto half whimpered, "Not so loudly."

"Naruto," Yahiko reasoned, "I _am_ whispering."

The loud noise that made Naruto's head spin and ache dared to disagree, "Can you be a little quieter?"

"Don't worry, I got something that should help," Yahiko said. He held up a bottle of water and two small white pills which he gave to Naruto, "They should at least make the pain go away."

Doing his best to sit himself up, Naruto put one of the pills in his mouth and swallowed. His head screamed in pain as the small pill traveled down his throat. After taking the second one, Naruto tried to force the bottle of water down but he couldn't find the energy to fight the pain long enough. He fell backwards onto the bed and moaned in agony, "How can anyone drink sake if they go through this every time?"

Yahiko snickered, but in Naruto's hungover state it seemed more like loud, uncontrollable laughter. He groaned and rolled over in his bed and tried to bury his ears under the pillow. Before Naruto could react, Yahiko pulled the pillow off him and emptied the bottle of water onto Naruto's face. The blonde shot off the bed angrily and growled, "STOP!"

In retrospect, shouting was not his best idea in his present state. The noise echoed through his head and made him clutch it between his hands, "Aargh! Why?"

"At least you're awake," Yahiko said. Naruto groaned and fell back onto the bed, his entire body sore and aching. He heard Yahiko laugh, "Come on kid. We're going to get you some clothes. But first, go and take a bath. You peed your pants as soon as you passed out."

"What?" Naruto said. Forgetting all about his splitting headache, he threw the blankets off his body and examined his pants. Needless to say, there were the dried remains of a pee stain starting at his crotch and going down to his left knee. He groaned in disbelief and managed to clamber off his bed, standing himself up. As soon as he did, his head went light and cloudy, sending him to the floor.

"Don't try and force yourself too much," Yahiko said, "That hangover won't go away so quickly."

Naruto grunted in response as he stumbled over to the dresser and pulled a fresh pair of clothes and a towel out. Every motion Naruto made sent a surge of pain through his already weakened body, "Why me?"

"The hangover," Yahiko said unsympathetically. As Naruto quietly slid the drawer shut, he made his way to the staircase. He sized the distance between each step, wondering if he should walk in his current condition. He decided to take it one step at a time, and went down the stairs slowly. When he finally reached the first floor and got to the front door, he found his vision suddenly blinded by a straw rice hat.

"You must be pretty hung over if you're forgetting to wear your disguise," Yahiko said, throwing Naruto's blue cloak around his shoulders, "Will you be alright by yourself?"

"Yeah..." Naruto grumbled as he went outside. Who was he kidding? His head was in unimaginable pain and his vision was almost completely fuzzy. Why didn't Naruto admit that? Was he just being too proud? He groaned in exasperation as the noise from the villager's outside made his head hurt even more than it already did. He took a deep breath, trying his best to hold in tears of pain, and walked himself towards the Konoha bath.

The noise was unbearable, mostly because it only amplified in his head and made a dull stabbing sensation in his forehead. Fighting the pain, he did his best to guide himself to Konoha's public bath house so he could get himself cleaned up. He walked aimlessly for some time, going left and right through the winding village streets when he came to a stop. The pain reached the breaking point when he heard a loud, "NO!"

"BUT HONORABLE GRANDSON! YOU MUST! ONLY BY STUDYING UNDER A JOUNIN, AN ELITE SHINOBI SUCH AS MYSELF, CAN YOU LEARN THE TRUE WAY TO BE HOKAGE!"

"THEN STOP BABYING ME!"

Naruto groaned rather loudly, clutching his head between his hands in the vain hope of making the pain go away, even for a little bit. He whimpered childishly, covering his ears with the palm of his hands before looking to see the source of the disruption.

Just down the street, drawing a rather large crowd, was a comedic pair of a child and his supposed teacher. The child wore a strange white safety helmet on his head, which did little to distract from the oversized blue scarf that hung around his neck. The scarf was so long, that it ran all the way from the top of his yellow shirt, past his brown shorts, and kept going for about two feet past the back of his foot.

There was not much to say about his counterpart, who was wearing the standard uniform of a jounin with the exception of the lack of his vest, and the strange black sunglasses he wore that made him look bug-eyed. Even stranger was his choice of headband, which was really a bandana instead of a headband.

The jounin was pulling on the child's scarf and continuously pleading, "HONORABLE GRANDSON! PLEASE! STOP THIS CHILDISHNESS AND COME WITH ME!"

"NO!" the _honorable grandson _shouted angrily in response. Unable to take anymore of their pointless bickering, Naruto reached for Kitsune. Or he would have if he had remembered to bring his trusty weapon. Instead, Naruto had forgotten all about his crimson katana because of the splitting pain in his head. Weaponless, Naruto searched for the next best thing.

Finding a stick on the ground, Naruto walked up the distracted duo, all the while clutching his head between his hands. _When you move, fall like a lightning bolt – quick and unpredictably. _Those were the words that echoed through his head.

"HONORABLE GRANDSON PLEASE!" the sensei pleaded with his sensei. Unable to take the noise anymore, Naruto raised the stick above his head and growled, "SHUT UP!"

Naruto swung the stick down hard on the sensei's head, breaking the stick in half as it cracked over the jounin's head. The jounin fell over face forward onto the ground, holding his head between his arms. His young student looked in awe from his now unconscious sensei to Naruto, who was seething in a mix of anger and pain. Unable to think properly, Naruto growled, "You're next you little squirt."

"Wait!" the honorable grandson reasoned, "Don't you know who I am? Don't make me get my grandfather! He's the Third Hokage!"

While Naruto would not have hit the kid under normal circumstances, his hungover head was unable to distinguish any words because of the dull ache. It all sounded like gibberish to the preteen. Naruto raised his fist and brought it down hard on the kid's safety helmet, "I could care less if he was your grandmother!"

The kid fell on his sensei, but didn't fall into unconsciousness. Naruto didn't care though. He had made his point, and didn't plan on hanging around longer than he needed to. After all, his head was aching something terrible and it was bad enough that he had beaten a jonin of the village he was hiding from, but he had also beaten the hokage's grandkid. Naruto could only imagine what would happen if they caught him hungover.

Moving at the fastest pace he could without causing himself more pain, Naruto ran through the streets to Konoha's bath house. It took the better part of a half an hour, which was mostly spent wandering aimlessly, but once his headache subsided he was able to recognize where he was and walked directly to the baths. Walking down one of Konoha's main avenues, he noticed a peculiar carboard box that was painted like a rock sitting in the center of the street. Even more peculiar were the pair of feet that stuck out of the bottom and the two holes that were cut in the front.

The blonde felt his left eyebrow twitch in exasperation. There was only one logical conclusion: an academy student who was practicing his stealth and failing miserably. Naruto didn't know why, but he had an overwhelming need to call the kid out, but decided he was in enough trouble as it was. After all, he had just knocked out the Third's grandson and his jounin instructor. Naruto clicked his tongue in distaste and went on.

He walked on quietly, musing to himself about Sakura's _shadowing_ the other day and wondering if she did hold some unacknowledged affection for the blonde. His thoughts then went to wondering what things would be like if they ever got together. Maybe go on dates to the movies, or hold hands in the park. And who was to say marriage was out of the question? He could already see how good she would look in a wedding dress. And eventually, without it. His mind went numb in horror. There was something seriously wrong with him! He had just undressed Sakura in his mind's eye. He really was a pervert!

Naruto groaned in horror at his sudden realization, but quickly forgot about it when he heard the clamoring of feet. He glanced behind him to see the same box shaped rock with feet and eyeholes directly behind him. Not wanting to deal with the kid, Naruto asked, "Can I help you?"

Silence. Naruto ran a hand through his hair and said, "You can drop the act, okay? I can see your feet."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a rock," the student replied.

"That can talk?" Naruto retorted. Again, the rock fell silent and unresponsive. Although, from how furiously the feet were shaking, Naruto guessed that the academy student was trying to either come up with another witty retort or hoping that Naruto would go away if he was quiet long enough. Naruto would be more than happy to oblige and continued his trek towards the public baths. Unfortunately, he had only gone two steps when he heard the shuffling of the student's feet behind him. Ready to pull his hair out of his head, Naruto spun on his heels and said, "Listen kid! Stop following me! Go play ninja elsewhere!"

"Play?" the kid's voice repeated angrily, "You think I'm playing! I'm a real ninja and I'm going to prove it!"

The cardboard box flew high into the air to reveal the young grandson from earlier. In both his hands, the boy held plastic shuriken which he hurled aimlessly at Naruto, "Take this!"

Naruto stepped backwards to avoid the kid's shuriken, not that is was necessary since many of them missed Naruto. In fact, some didn't even go in his general direction and instead flew to the side or straight up into the air. The kid clicked his tongue in frustration, "You're good! You avoided my shuriken no jutsu!"

"Avoided? I stepped backwards! Which was pointless since none of them actually came at me!" Naruto grumbled. The kid pulled out a plastic kunai knife from his pocket and said, "Let's see how well you do against this!"

Naruto watched in utter amazement as the kid managed to trip on his scarf as he lunged forward. The _honorable grandson _landed face forward on the ground, whining in agony, "How could you be so good that you tripped me without moving."

"You tripped on yourself, you twerp!" Naruto explained in frustration. The dull pain of the hangover came back again, forcing Naruto to grab his head in pain, "Ow! Why?"

"Hey boss! Are you alright?" He heard the kid say with a tone of concern. Naruto squeezed his head between his hands, falling to his knees. The pain became unbearable for him. He would give anything to make it go away. He whimpered as the pain slowly faded away and he was finally able to regain his composure. He struggled to his get on his feet, still feeling the ache from the hangover, and unwittingly found himself being pulled up by the little kid who again asked, "Is everything alright, boss?"

"Why do you keep calling me boss?" Naruto asked, "I'm not your boss."

"Are you kidding?" the kid retorted, "With the way you took down Ebisu-sensei? How can you not call yourself the boss?"

Naruto blinked in disbelief. Was this kid serious? He was calling Naruto 'Boss' because he knocked out the kid and his teacher with a stick. He couldn't help but smile stupidly. It was cute in a childishly, naïve way. The boy ran on, "Oh man! Could you teach me how to do that, boss?"

"Listen, I'm really flattered, _okay Honorable Grandson?" _Naruto explained, "Bu-"

"Hey! my name's not _Honorable Grandson_!" the kid snapped, "It's Konohamaru! Why do people always see me as just the Third's Grandson?"

Naruto noted the pain with which he had said the last part, which surprised him greatly. He had expected the life of a hokage's child or grandchild to at least be enjoyable. Instead, Konohamaru had been given a label he didn't want. Much like how Haku had received the label of freak or he had received the label of dead last. A name he was cruelly given by society and had little hope of ever overcoming. Naruto shook his head and forced a comforting smile, "Konohamaru. I'm really flattered by being called boss but I am the last person you want to start hanging around, okay?"

"Come on! Please? At least teach me to do that one thing! It'll bring me closer to my dream of being the next Hokage!" Konohamaru said excitedly. Once again, Naruto found himself surprised. How often had Naruto said that was his goal in life? To be the Next Great Hokage of Konoha. This kid was the thirds grandson, but he was a lot like the way Naruto was: loud, childish and obnoxious. But they shared a dream for the same reason: To be hokage for the sake of being acknowledged by others. He smiled weakly, "I'm sorry Konohamaru, but what do you suppose people will think if they see their future Hokage hanging around a...criminal?"

Naruto's face winced in spite of the words. It amazed Naruto how much impact one word seemed to have on him. Especially since it came out of his own mouth. Why did he call himself a criminal? He wasn't a bad person and, no matter what he did, his intentions were always good. So why then?

"HONORABLE GRANDSON!" cried the familiar voice of the man referred to as Ebisu-sensei, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GET AWAY FROM THE HOKAGE'S GRANDSON YOU SCUM!"

Naruto and Konohamaru looked up to see Ebisu diving down towards them with two kunai in hand. He landed between the two and spun the kunai in his hand to jab Naruto. Just as the kunai came forward, Naruto stepped to the side in time for blade to merely graze his cloak. Ebisu then grabbed Inari and jumped back several feet from Naruto, "Stay away from him you monster!"

"What are you doing Ebisu-sensei! Why'd you call the boss a monster?" Konohamaru demanded, revealing some toy kunai and running in front of Ebisu, "What did the boss ever do to you?"'

"Honorable Grandson, please," Ebisu explained pleadingly, "That person is nothing more than a vagrant, with no regard for his elders. Otherwise, he wouldn't have hit me: a jounin, an elite ninja who has dedicated his life to protecting this village."

Ebisu then pushed Konohamaru behind him and reasoned, "Allow me to take care of him."

"Ebisu," Naruto countered, angered by the monster comment but in a stable enough state of mind to know to stay calm, "I don't want any trouble, okay? I was just going to the bath house. Why don't we just put that little thing back there behind us and move on. What do you say?"

"I say: you're under arrest for assaulting the jounin of Konoha and the grandson of the third hokage," Ebisu said, walking forward with kunai in hand. Naruto panicked. How did he get himself into this mess? Worse yet, he didn't have anything to defend himself with. His katana was not with him so he couldn't defend himself and he had no other means within reach which could substitute for his favorite katana.

He couldn't attack the man. That wasn't even an option. If Naruto wasn't careful, then Ebisu would see his face and Naruto would have more trouble than he bargained. Besides, even if Naruto did succeed in attacking Ebisu, that would only add to the reasons for his arrest. Naruto needed to knock him out in a way that would not get him in more trouble, but what could he use? He had nothing to use.

Well except for that one technique he created a while back but there was no way it would work. He had never used it on a jounin before. Only the chunin instructors and the other genin. There was no telling how effective it would be.

But Naruto had nothing else in his arsenal and Ebisu was only getting closer by the second. Panicking, Naruto decided he had no other options and made a quick combination of handsigns. He tried his best to focus his chakra, but months without practice dulled his ability to control it. But, in his present predicament, there was little room for any other option. Besides, if this worked, Ebisu would never add it to the list of reasons to arrest him because it would be too damaging for Ebisu's image. Focusing all of his chakra into a single thought, Naruto said, "Oiroke no Jutsu!"

A cloud of smoke appeared around Naruto, and a strange yet familiar tingling sensation overtook the blonde. As the feeling subsided, Naruto struck the first pose he could think of and waited as the smoke clear. Once he could see Ebisu staring at him dumstruck, Naruto used the more seduceful tone he could come up with and said, "Oh pretty please won't you let me go?"

To top it off, Naruto blew a kiss that seemed to be the final nail in the coffin. Almost immediately, a stream of red blood gushed out of Ebisu's nose and sent him flying backwards several feet. Despite the sudden blood loss, his face was a bright pink. With one last breath before passing into the beauty of unconsciousness, Ebisu said, "Of course!"

Naruto was equal parts dumbstruck and distraught. On the one hand it worked, but on the other hand it worked. They were the same thing, yes, but it was for different reasons. First, the jutsu had worked. Naruto actually knocked out a jounin with his Oiroke no Jutsu. A jounin had fallen for his ultimate distraction/transformation. But that was the problem. How inept must a jounin be in order to fall for such a childish jutsu.

"WOW! THAT WAS SO COOL!" Konohamaru cried happily, "Hey boss! Can you teach me that jutsu?"

"Wha-?" Naruto sputtered out as he released the transformation. Konohamaru practically jumped onto Naruto, "That jutsu! The Oiroke! Teach me how to do it!"

"If I say yes, will you get off and let me take a bath?" Naruto asked as the child pulled on him. Without hesitation, Konohamaru's face lit up and he cried, "YEAH! ALRIGHT!"

Konohamaru jumped for joy up and down street, "So when are you going to teach me? Can you teach once you're done with your bath?"

"Erm...sure?" Naruto answered dumbly, not sure how to respond to the barrage of question. Konohamaru gleefully cried, "Alright! I'll be waiting right here, boss! Teach me as soon as you're done!"

"Um...okay?" Naruto ran a hand a through his hair and scratched his head. As he walked over to Konoha's bath, only one thought crossed his mind: What have I gotten myself into?

...

**Author's Notes:** What has Naruto gotten himself into? The next chapter will be up in one month on Friday August 8th. I would have it up earlier, but there are some other issues I need to work out and I want to devote some time to my other ongoing story: Takato's Light. If you loved this chapter of Oyabun, let me know in the review sections. I also welcome speculations and constructive criticism. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	20. Purgatorio

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates or any related subjects.

**Author's Notes: **Hello again from leonardo1123581321! I'm really happy that so many of you continue to read Oyabun. I'd like to thank those of you who left comments in the reviews section. I apologize for the month long wait between updates, but I had to work out some personal and technical issues, most of which are resolved. I love how many of you are making connections between this story and The Godfather, which was one of the inspirations for this story, however I feel I need to give a long overdue explanation about The Sicilian for those of you who are not familiar with the story. That explanation will be made available to read at the end of the story in the post Author's Notes for those of you who want to read it so that I won't distract from the reason most of you are here. I was able to proofread this chapter several times, but I still wish it had turned out better than what it is now. With that said, I would like to respond to all the reviews that you guys were kind enough to leave:

**Dark Ravie:** Another update ready and hot off the presses.

**Son of the morning:** I would like to thank you for the compliment, but I have to say: 'But I need my brain! That's where I keep all my spare change!' Seriously though, thanks for the compliment. Ill admit I'm a it of a fan of your fanfic about the mentally insane Naruto. If I'm a genius, then you're a GOD!

**alteris: **I'm flattered, really. The Godfather and the Sicilian are not only similar concepts, they were written by the same author and are built off of one another. If you want to learn more, read the explanation at the end of the story.

**Akira Stridder:** Thank you, albeit I am concerned. Did it actually seem like a filler?

**Peter Kim:** Okay. In order via review: Close, DAMN!, and DAMN! You've been with this story since the beginning PK, and I respect the fact that you're one of my more fervent reviewers, but a lot of your guesses have been more or less on the dime. I'm beginning to get worried here. I' m weighing on whether or not Sasuke should die since I figured out a way to make it a plot device.

**Urghazi: **I completely agree about the Sakura predicament, but let's face it: No matter what happens to him, Naruto will still always be Naruto. He still has a crush on Sakura, even after she's beaten him to a pulp on several occasions, he still has a love of ramen and he still is something of a pervert.

**Otomonashi: **Yes it would, but that's why they're called plot devices.

And so, without further ado, I present to you the next chapter of Oyabun.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 20: Purgatorio**

Hinata quietly set down the tea for her father and sister, who were busy sparring with each other in the courtyard. It was part of the morning training ritual that she and her father used to do long ago before her father witnessed Hanabi's excellent progress. Hinata's own abilities stalled while Hanabi excelled to levels that Hinata ad only recently attained. To this end, her father slowly spent less time with her until all his attention was focused solely on Hanabi. As the two exchanged quick blows, Hinana meekly said, "E...Excuse me...the tea is ready."

"Hanabi, let's rest a bit," her father said commandingly, without so much as a glance at Hinata. Hanabi obeyed the command and joined her father quietly. Hinata stepped back into the household as her father and sister took their tea without so much as a thank you. She closed the door behind her, just as her father said, "you've made a lot of progress Hanabi. I'm very proud of you."

she choked back a silent sob when she heard these words. How long had it been since she last heard those words for her? How about never? on the contrary, he always seemed disappointed whenever they took their breaks. When Hanabi started her training, everything had changed. He no longer seemed willing to look at her, his own daughter. He wouldn't even acknowledge her presence. What had she done to deserve this?

Her progress had stagnated compared to her younger sister, yes, but was that ground for alienation from her own father. He didn't even consider the humiliation of being cast aside for the sake of a younger sibling. She was pathetic, wasn't she? She wanted things to change for the better but she was doing next to nothing about it. Was she all talk when she adopted the nindo of the boy she admired? If anything was for certain, the only part of him she had copied was his incompetence and inability. He had what appeared to be an unbroken determination, but was it all a mask?

Was there a pain she had failed to notice? He had defected to the most powerful boryokudan and become a gangster. Not only that, but he had created a formidable crime syndicate that had conquered most of the Land of Waves. What happened from there, she didn't know. Had they been killed off or were they expanding so quickly and silently that no one noticed it happening. Before she could ponder it any further, her sister appeared behind her and said, "Hinata, your teammate is here. I think her name was Sakura."

"Sakura?" Hinata repeated. What was the pink haired kunoichi doing here at this time of day?

Hinata went back outside into the courtyard, to find Sakura watching Hanabi and her father training. Sakura watched with an envious fascination as Hanabi spun and twisted gracefully to block and counter her father's attacks.

"Sakura?" Hinata asked quietly. Sakura wore a sullen, distracted look on her face. Donning what Hinata knew to be fake grin, Sakura said, "Hey Hinata. There's something I wanted to talk about, but can we do it in your room? I don't think anyone else should hear this."

"Um...okay," Hinata answered, leading Sakura into the Hyuga manor and into her room upstairs. Once they were in the safety of Hinata's room, Sakura locked the door and put her ear against it. After a few minutes she stepped away with a satisfied look on her face and gave Hinata a quizzical look, "Hinata, do you think someone can come back from the dead?"

Hinata could only give Sakura a troubled expression. What was that question supposed to mean? No one could come back from death. It just wasn't possible. Hinata knew this, and so did Sakura.

"What I mean is," Sakura started, "Well, do you remember back when Naruto jumped off the bridge after he killed Gatou a few months ago in the Land of Waves?"

"Yes," Hinata answered weakly, "I do, why?"

"Were you sure you didn't see a body in the water when you used your byakugan?" Sakura asked stupidly, 'I mean, I know its silly to ask but are you sure you didn't miss anything?"

"Of course I didn't," Hinata half lied. She hadn't seen any body in the water but she knew more than enough that he was alive when she recounted what she had seen in the alley a week later, "Nothing is invisible to the byakugan. If the fall hadn't killed him, then the current must have smashed his body against the cliffs and dragged it down river. Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just...," Sakura paused quietly, "They never found a body so how can we be certain?"

"Sakura," Hinata answered worriedly, "What are you trying to say?"

"When I was with Ino yesterday, I think I saw Naruto," Sakura finally stated quietly. Hinata stared at her quietly, unsure of how to react. Part of her was happy but she knew better than to react because she knew Sakura was present, while another was equal parts angered and worried. How could he come back here after all he had one? But more importantly, what was he doing here? Was he alright? Was he in trouble? These thoughts raced by so quickly that Hinata was just barely able to hear Sakura say, "He was wearing the same cloak I saw him wear in the Land of Waves. He was also with two people: a Yakuza I've never seen before and a woman. I wasn't sure at first, so I decided to follow them and...I heard his voice. It was definitely Naruto."

"Why are you telling me this?" Hinata asked Sakura, "Why not Kakashi-sensei, or Iruka-sensei?"

"I would have but you remember what Kakashi-sensei did afterwards, right?" she recalled. Hinata didn't need reminding. His actions were so horrific, words alone could not describe it. Kakashi used a technique he refered to as the _Raikiri_ to cut through half of Gatou's bandits in one charge. After that, the combined strength of Kakashi, Haku and Zabuza turned the fight into a slaughter. At the heart of the massacre? Kakashi's almost insatiable need to spill the blood of everyone around him. He even impaled the last man alive, who desperately begged to be spared.

His eyes were cold afterwards. As if something important to him had been taken away, never to return. Hinata contemplated that Kakashi might have known Naruto in some way, but chose not to dwell on the matter too much because of how irritable he had become. He still had the same care free attitude and goofy tendency to be late, only now he was much quicker to annoy.

"Iruka-sensei can't know either," Sakura added, "You know how close they were. Imagine how Iruka would feel if he found out Naruto not only faked his death but is alive and with Yakuza."

Hinata nodded in agreement. Naruto and Iruka practically had a father-son relationship. Hinata had once seen Iruka after Naruto's arrest; he seemed fine but Hinata knew otherwise when she saw his eyes. It was the same look her father would give her: disappointment, anguish, anger, frustration and despair all rolled into one. When word got out of Naruto's death, he seemed almost broken. He was still able to give his lessons but he did so with less fervor.

"And I don't think Sasuke would really care at all if I told him," Sakura finished. Hinata had to agree on that one. Sasuke was usually indifferent to anything that didn't get him closer to whatever his goal was. However, there was no doubt in Hinata's mind that Sakura might have actually seen Naruto alive. But if word got out of his presence here in Konoha, then his status as an S-Rank Criminal would be reinstated. She couldn't let that happen.

"You're getting worked up Sakura," Hinata assuringly explained, "We have been on a lot of missions lately. You're probably just tired and stress is making you see things."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Sakura answered dully, "I should probably go home."

She opened the door to Hinata's room and silently said, "Thanks for listening Hinata."

"You're welcome," Hinata bid her teammate who closed the door. After a few seconds, Hinata activated her byakugan to find her teammate, who was already leaving the manor. The Hyuga heiress sighed and sank to the ground. What was she going to do?

...

Naruto cracked a tired yawn as he emerged out of the bath house. The baths were as rejuvenating as ever, albeit more crowded because of the tourists. Dressed in a fresh pair of clothes, his blue cloak, and his rice hat, Naruto glanced up and down the street. He expected to hear Konohamaru jump with joy once he stepped out of the bathhouse but couldn't find even the slightest trace of the boy or his jounin sensei. In the case of Konohamaru's age, Naruto guessed the kid got bored and left. He didn't really care if that were the case, since it meant one less problem on his place

"HEY BOSS! ARE YOU READY TO TEACH ME THE OIROKE?" Konohamaru cried out in joy. Naruto had spoken too soon, craning his neck back to see the kid grinning cheerily at him. It was a goofy smile. The kind Naruto used to wear all the time. It was eerily nostalgic to see the smile on the young lad's face. It reminded Naruto too much of himself not too long ago: a loud mouthed, cheerful dreamer.

"Uh sure," Naruto said, "I guess the first thing you should do is show me your Henge no Jutsu."

"What should I transform into?" Konohamaru asked. Naruto scanned the immediate area and pointed to a busy girl with brunette hair and a blue kimono, "Transform into her."

"OKAY!" Konohamaru performed a quick combination of hand signs that created a large puff of smoke. As the smoke cleared, a bloated version of the girl Naruto had pointed at appeared before him. The transformation more closely resembled an elephant or a pig than the actual girl. The whole transformation was so horrendous that Naruto had difficulty looking at it without feeling nauseous.

"So? How do I look?" Konohamaru asked excitedly. His voice was deep and heavy, reflecting a man's voice better than a young girl's. Naruto had no idea how to react or if even had the ability to react. Words raced through the blonde's mind, each one more horrific than the last: awful? disgusting? terrible? stupefying? horrendous? How would Naruto explain this to the kid without hurting his feelings? After much consideration, Naruto decided to take a much more neutral approach, "It's a start?"

"So you think it's good?" Konohamaru cried out happily, to which Naruto replied, "I never said that."

"So then it's horrible?" Konohamaru moaned as he undid the jutsu. Repeating his last statement, Naruto said, "I never said that, either. I said: it's a start. You've got a long way to go."

"What should I do next?" Konohamaru asked with an optimistic smile.

"Why don't you go practice your Henge no Jutsu and then come and find me when you're done?" Naruto suggested. He hated to do it, but teaching Konohamaru the Oiroke would take too much time and time was something that didn't favor Naruto. The more time he spent out in the open, the more likely he was going to be discovered. Besides, Yahiko was still waiting for him to get back from the bath house.

"What? Why won't you train me?" Konohamaru demanded childishly.

"I can't teach you if you can't even do the Henge right," Naruto explained, "And I'd do it myself but I have to be somewhere else right now."

"Oh...I get it," Konohamaru said dejectedly, "You don't want me around."

"Wait...what?" Naruto _sputtered, how did Konohamaru get to that _conclusion? Although it wasn't far from the truth, Naruto tried to save the conversation by saying, "NO! I just...have to meet someone important."

"You mean like a girlfriend?" Konohamaru asked slyly.

"Eh...sure?" Naruto lied. Konohamaru leaned in closely to get a look at Naruto before adding, "Okay...if you say so. So where do you want me to meet you when I've mastered the Henge?"

"Um, well there's this office building in the market district," Naruto began, "You can't miss it. It has a Black Dragon on it with the words Dewaya written in gold."

"Dewaya? You mean like the Yakuza?...Wait! You're a Yakuza?" said a surprised Konohamaru who was pointing at Naruto accusingly. Naruto hit himself in the head, as Konohamaru's face seemed trapped between surprise and anger. Naruto could almost anticipate what Konohamaru would do next. The kid would get scared and start panicking, probably running off in some random direction screaming for his jounin instructor or his grandfather, the hokage. Naruto braced for the worst thing to happen just as Konohamaru's lips parted, "THAT IS SO COOL!"

"Eh?" Naruto didn't know what to make of Konohamaru's reaction. Normally, most people were very quiet about yakuza or refused to address them. In fact, most people refused to give Yakuza so much as a second look. Konohamaru, however, seemed rather overjoyed by it. But what exactly made the yakuza seem so much cooler to this kid. Surpised by Konohamaru's response, Naruto said, "You aren't...scared?"

"No. Why would I be?" Konohamaru asked. Once again, Naruto was caught off guard by the nature of Konohamaru's response. The boy was either unintimidated by yakuza or simply did not know anything about them. Scoffing under his breath, Naruto said, "Well since you know, can I ask that you stop calling me boss?"

"You got it boss!" Konohamaru happily complied to Naruto's dismay. This...relationship, if one could call it that, was off to a good start.

"Well I have to find Ebisu-sensei! I'll come find you when I perfect my Henge! Then you can show me the next step!" Konohamaru cheerfully said, running off towards the Hokage tower. Naruto watched Konohamaru disappear into the crowd, all the while surprised by Konohamaru's peculiar behavior. He mused at how carefree the grandson could be, especially after their little encounter. He was so sure the boy would cut and run but, instead, Konohamaru seemed quite overjoyed by it.

Decidedly confused, Naruto guided his way through the busy streets back to the office building where he found Yahiko waiting outside, "There you are! What took so long?"

"I ran into someone," Naruto answered.

"Who?" Yahiko demanded, a worried tone coming from his otherwise impassive face."

"It was the Third's grandson," Naruto said. Yahiko shot Naruto a dirty look, "The Third Hokage's grandson? What were you doing?"

"Well, uh...heh, about that," Naruto began guiltily, "I sort of knocked out his jounin sensei twice and promised to teach the Third's grandson a new jutsu."

Yahiko groaned with frustation, "Aw geez. Did he see your face or identify you?"

"No," Naruto answered innocently. Until Naruto remembered how he had knocked Ebisu out the second time. He had accomplished the feat using a technique only he was known to use, more or less giving himself away. His Oiroke was infamous amongst the Chunin instructors and the Genin. The woman he would transform into was also something of infamy because of her unquestionable ability to draw a nose bleed from the nearby males. There was no doubt that this infamy had reached the ears of the jounin and ANBU of the village. If Ebisu didn't tell anyone about his defeat at the hands of the Oiroke,then any nearby ninja who had seen the jutsu would.

"What's wrong?" Yahiko asked. Naruto was ashamed to admit it but he had to answer. It was one of the points of his induction: _always speak the truth to everyone and anyone. _He couldn't lie to his Oyabun without consequence. Naruto hesitantly answered, "Well...I sort of used a jutsu that only I know to knock out the jounin and...well, almost ever shinobi in the village knows about it. If the jounin won't admit that's how I beat him, someone else will. That, and he also knows I'm a Yakuza."

"Well if that's all, it won't be too much trouble as long he didn't see your face," Yahiko started rubbing his head, "We can take care of that as soon as we take care of your appearance."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked as Yahiko brushed past him, "I'm not going to have you represent the Dewaya in those clothes. Now come on."

"Where are we going?" Naruto asked, chasing after his Oyabun who replied, "You'll see."

Without further question, Naruto followed his Oyabun down a side alley that led to narrow street cramped with stores and tourists busy window shopping. This street was different from the rest of Konoha's many locations. The air was heavy with smoke and the foul smell of garbage that had been left in the open for too long. Women in revealing clothing were standing outside some of the shops and kept inviting the passing citizens inside for a drink or some other form of entertainment.

"What is this place?" Naruto asked.

"It's the west end of Konoha's Market District, and it's a hotspot for members of the Ninkyo Dantai so most people try to avoid it. Tourists frequent the site hoping to see some kind of fight or deal or whatever it is they think we do. The Four Syndicates refer to it _as Purgatorio_," Yahiko explained.

"Purgatorio?" Naruto repeated. The tone of the word sounded familiar, but once again Naruto found himself unable to place it, "That's a funny word. Who came up with that?"

"Keitaro did," Yahiko said, "He always called this place Purgatorio. Overtime, everyone started calling this place Purgatorio. Even the villagers who live here. Supposedly, he got the word from his native language and it's supposed to mean 'Place of Judgment' or 'Place of Forgiveness'. Some weird mumbo jumbo like that."

"What do you mean native language?" Naruto asked. Yahiko smirked, "Keitaro's right, you ask too many questions even if it is a good trait. I don't really know myself but I can tell you he knows two languages, and that weird one he speaks is supposed to be his first language. I don't know where he learned it, and the only ones who could tell you are Oyabun, Hana and Keitaro himself. The problem is none of them like to talk about it, so no one bothers to as-"

"HEY BIG BOY! Why don't you ditch the kid and come inside so we can have some _fun,_" one of the scantily clad women called at Yahiko.

"Dammit," Yahiko scowled under his breath, taking greater steps to hurry his pace.

"Oh don't be so mean! You know you want to!" Naruto heard their voices fade away as they left the girls far behind. They went another block before arriving outside a small store with an image of a tie where the name normally would have been. The display window had three mannequins: two fashioned in suits and the third in a black kimono. The villagers and tourists passing by kept as far as possible from the store as possible, even going so far as to start walking against the stores on the opposite side of the street to avoid it. _They're probably freaked out by me and Yahiko_, Naruto thought at first before he saw a sign on the door reading: Protected by the Kuroihi Syndicate.

Yahiko went in first, holding the door open for Naruto who stepped into the dark store, poorly lit by a few candles that hung from the ceiling. An assortment of suits and dresses lined the walls, along with kimonos with assorted patterns. An elderly man in an apron attended a counter at the back, where he was furiously cutting lengths of black cloth into various shapes and sizes. A bell rang as Yahiko closed the door behind him, catching the elderly man's attention.

His face was weathered with age, the wrinkles outlined by the flickering flames of the candle. He smiled once his eyes laid on Naruto, "Have you brought me another customer?"

"Yes," Yahiko answered, "Naruto this is Shigeru. He's one of the few tailors who will do business with us, even though he knows it might scare away some regulars."

"Oh I don't mind at all," the tailor answered, "Without all these fabrics you supply me, I would have gone out of business years ago."

The tailor walked up to Naruto with a roll of measuring tape in hand. He eyed Naruto with a hint of fascination before saying, "Please remove the hat and cloak, and hold out your arm please."

Naruto froze with fear. He couldn't take the hat off or else Shigeru would see his face. Unsure of what to do, Naruto turned to Yahiko who assuringly said, "Don't worry. He's an old friend and he knows better than to talk to the ninja. He knows what happened to the last one."

"Who could forget?" the tailor said. Still unsure, Naruto threw off the cloak first and then the rice hat. The old man flinched once his eyes rested on Naruto, but he shook it off and said, "Raise your arm please."

Still unnerved, Naruto raised his arm parallel to the ground. The old man proceeded to measure Naruto from shoulder to wrist, all the while muttering about surprises. A strong silence followed as the tailor went about his measurements: around the wrist, shoulder to elbow, elbow to wrist, armpit to wrist, armpit to waist, around the waist again but in the opposite direction, collar to waist, around the neck and so on. As the old man started to measure the inside of Naruto's leg, from groin to ankle, he asked, "So Naruto, why did you want to join the Dewaya?"

"I didn't," Naruto answered, "Hashi-sensei said it was to protect me from Konoha's ninja and the other syndicates."

Shigeru smiled as he started to measure Naruto's ankle, "Hmm. I see, but did you challenge Boss Hashi's decision?"

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"I mean, did you oppose what Boss Hashi decided. Did you try to get out of it? Or even resist it?" Shigeru asked, taking the tip of the tape to measure Naruto's height. Naruto was perplexed by the question. Naruto had never really thought about it, but he had put up almost no effort to challenge Hashi's decision. He had asked if there were other options but made no follow up effort to ask what they were. In fact, he had indefinitely handed himself over to Hashi's will.

Was it subconscious? Did he want to be a Yakuza without realizing it? Who was he kidding? He already was a member of the Dewaya Clan and he was being measured for his suit. He didn't want to be a Yakuza, he was one. How had this happened? Was he so stupid that he hadn't realized the weight of what he had done?

"Okay," Shigeru said, "I think I have one that should fit him. I take it you want the usual apparel? All black and what not?"

"Of course," Yahiko said, to which Shigeru nodded, "Okay, I'll just check in back to see what I have."

The elderly man disappeared into the back of the store, humming a soft tune to himself. Naruto quickly re adorned his cloak and rice hat. Silence enveloped the room, broken only by the sound of clicks in the back. After a few minutes, Shigeru arose out of the back with two hangars in one hand, both with a black jacket and trousers, and in the other hand was an orange dress shirt wrapped in plastic, a pair of black oxfords, a binding of eight pairs of black socks and a gold buckled belt. With an apologetic look on his face, Shigeru explained, "I'm sorry, but I'm out of white dress shirts and I won't have any more cotton or silk for another week. If it would be alright, could you come back then? I should have everything all prepared."

"Yeah, we can wait until then," Yahiko answered, "Just as a question, couldn't we bleach the orange one?"

"I would hope not," Shigeru reacted with horror, "You could, but it would ruin the texture of the fabric. I may as well make one out of canvas if you're going to bleach it."

"Well, Naruto will be the one wearing it so it's his choice in the end. Naruto?" Yahiko asked the blonde.

"I like orange," Naruto said sheepishly. Yahiko shrugged while Shigeru started to bag the clothes indifferently. He handed the bags to Naruto and said, "I take it that I should put it on your credit?"

"You know its good," Yahiko smiled, patting Naruto on the head, "Besides, we always pay with interest."

"Alright," Shigeru replied, "Come back anytime. My door is always open."

"Okay," Yahiko said, holding the door open for Naruto as they walked out. Once the two had gone a considerable distance from the store, Yahiko said, "Next, we're going to get you a tattoo."

_Tattoo?_ Naruto thought. For one brief moment Naruto's mind went blank. Tattoos were never a good sign for anything. In fact, he was sure they had been outlawed so that it would be easier to identify members of the Ninkyo Dantai. How was Naruto supposed to stay in hiding or maintain a low profile if he was wearing the clothing of a Kuroihi and had the tattoo etched on his neck? Was Yahiko setting him up? But why would he set Naruto up if he loyal to Hashi-sensei? Unless Yahiko was a rat! But he couldn't be. Naruto saw how Yahiko stuttered around Hashi. He was practically terrified by the man.

"After that we're going to discuss your job once we get back to the office," Yahiko finished.

"My job? I thought I was here to stay in hiding," Naruto pointed out. As they walked past the club, one of the ladies from before shouted, "QUEER!"

"Ignore them," Yahiko groaned, "They're paid based on the number of customers they drag in and think I'll pay extra because I head the Dewaya Clan."

"Oh," Naruto looked back at the women, one of whom was waving her middle finger at him. Yahiko went on, "In any case, we're in the midst of the Chunin Exam season. I know Oyabun wants you to lay low, and I respect his wishes, but he's pulled half of my men to help Keitaro whose still running clean up on Gatou Corp."

Guilt dropped like a heavy weight on Naruto's shoulders. A good percentage of the damage done came from the Kitsune Syndicate. But that was in the past and there was no point in dwelling on it. In a poor effort to change the subject, Naruto asked, "So what exactly will I be doing?"

"You'll be keeping an eye on the part of the village between the bath house and the market district," Yahiko said, "We have five other guys who watch the exact same area so you won't have to cover so much ground."

_Not much ground?_ Naruto thought. That was far from not much! The area was fairly large for just six people to cover. It would take at least an hour just to walk the distance between the two places if there was no crowd. But considering the heavy tourism, it would take at least an extra 30 minutes. That wouldn't be too bad unless trouble arose. Then it would take a while for him to get to the problem, at which time the trouble maker would have been long gone.

"I'll also give you a list of all our clients in the area, as well," Yahiko added, "They pay good money to keep their stores safe. All you have to do is remind people that they are under our protection. You know, scare off anyone who might make a scene or cause trouble. It's nothing too bad, though. Just show up, order a drink or two, tell them to put it on the Kuroihi's tab, and go to the next client on the list."

"How will they know that I'm with the Kuroihi? They're not allowed to see my face," Naruto pointed out. Yahiko smirked deviously, "What do you think the tattoo is for?"

He came to a stop outside a tea shop, also signed with a warning about protection from the Kuroihi. The inside was lit a by a flourescent lights that hung from the ceiling. A raven haired, young man wearing a grey tunic over brown pants was busy scrawling all over a piece of paper with a pen, muttering, "More pink...now some red...no, that looks to big...and now it looks like a zit..."

"Moto!" Yahiko said to the distracted man, who jumped off his chair in surprise, "GAH!"

He spun around, a horrified look on his face. With a paint brush in hand, he growled, "I KNOW HOW TO KI-...Yahiko?"

"Hello Moto," Yahiko said, "First: a paint brush isn't going to scare anyone; and two: I need another tattoo done."

"Would it kill you to set an appointment or something?" Moto complained. He closed the blinds to the store and swung an OPEN sign around to read CLOSED. He began to set up a fold-out bed and set a cloth upon it, "You know I hate it when you drop by unannounced like that. Shinobi could drop by any time you know and I'm not going to jail because you screwed up."

"I'd apologize, but you're two months behind," Yahiko said with a lethal tone, "I've been generous thus far but the tourist season has been heavy. At best, I'd expect an extra 50 percent because of the flood of business."

"I would, too," Moto answered meekly, "But rumors have been flying around for the last couple of days. They're saying there might be a gang war between the Kuroihi and the another group. A lot of people are saying it's the Enkou Syndicate. You know how rumors get, too. It's scaring my business away and I'm a little worried too. I won't risk my business so the chairman can wage a war."

"That's understandable," Yahiko answered, "But it's not an excuse. I'll extend it at least until the end of the exam. That's two months. Now, could you please give Naruto here his tattoo."

"The usual dragon on the neck?" Moto asked bitterly as he set a tray of black ink and a needle on a nearby table.

"Yes," Yahiko said. Moto nodded and looked at Naruto, "Alright, take off that coat and that hat. I need to see your neck."

"Keep the hat on," Yahiko ordered quickly just as Naruto put his hand on the hat, "You're a wild card Moto. Until all our affairs are sorted out, I'm keeping an eye on you."

"So there is going to be a gang war?" Moto deviously implied. Yahiko started rubbing his temples and let out an annoyed sigh, "I'll admit that the situation has been some tension between us and another group, but the situation is under control."

"Geez, so honest," Moto said. Watching the two converse reminded Naruto of Gatou and Keitaro. Both were at odds with each other and one ended up dead a few days later. Naruto began to worry when it occurred to him that he might be asked to remove a loose end. Throwing off his cloak and his orange coat, Naruto climbed up on the bed.

Moto dabbed a wet towel on the back of Naruto's neck, sending a tingling chill down his spine. Moto then used the towel to wipe his hands and pulled on a pair of plastic gloves.

"Alright, you might feel a little sting," Moto said, taking the needle in hand. Oh how wrong he was. A stabbing sensation crawled all over Naruto's body as the hot needle started to move in and out of his skin. It was an unimaginable pain that moved up and down his neck and dove deep into his chest. He pulled away from the needle and scowled, "THAT IS NOT A LITTLE STING!"

"Then you'll hate this," Moto added as he dropped a wet towel on Naruto. He let out a loud yelp from the agonizing pain that suddenly coursed through his entire being. Moto continued, "That's disinfectant. That pain you're feeling is the disinfectant working on you're skin. Believe me, you'll be feeling a lot more of that for a while."

Naruto whimpered as the needle went back into his skin. Moto started mumbling to himself, "I wonder what they'll think of the new design...maybe the old one...oh man, that scale is too big...maybe I can compensate with a back...yeah...that worked...maybe the...ooh, that will look nice."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto bit through the horrifying pain, which made Moto smile, "I like to talk to myself when I _create_. It makes it easier for me to work."

"Ignore that Naruto," Yahiko advised, "Moto is a bit of a nut. The only reason he's still alive is because he's a good tattoo artist."

"And don't you forget it!" Moto said, "Now hold still."

Pain ran through his neck as the needle started moving in and out of his body again. It went on as Moto worked on the design, taking great care not to ruin the final product at Naruto's expense. After an hour of excruciating pain, Naruto asked, "Is it done yet?"

"The outline, sure," Moto answered, dabbing the towel on Naruto's sore neck, "But a true masterpiece takes at least another two. Just be quiet and let me work."

"Oh man," Naruto groaned as Moto continued. Much to Naruto's dismay, Moto was not kidding when he said it would take another two hours. Two hours which went by slowly because of each and every individual prick that Moto made. After experiencing a painful hell, Naruto heard the words he had been expecting, "Done."

"Let me see," Yahiko said, leaning disturbingly close to Naruto, "It looks good. Congratulations Naruto...you're now a full fledged member of the clan."

Oh how lucky Naruto felt.

"The pain should go away in an hour," Moto stated as he started putting his tools away. Naruto climbed off the bed and donned his orange coat and cloak, then proceeded to gather the bags containing his new clothes. Moto nodded towards them and said, "Alright, you two take care. And Yahiko! I'll have that money by then."

"I'll be expecting it," Yahiko said warningly. Once Naruto and Yahiko had left the tea shop some distance behind, Yahiko quietly said, "Intimidation is something you'll want to use sparingly Naruto. Use it only on more difficult people like Moto back there. Like I said, the only reason we haven't killed him yet is because he makes a good tattoo. Otherwise, we would have gotten rid of him a long time ago. Heck, we might have to take care of it if he doesn't have the money."

"You mean kill him," Naruto concluded, to which Yahiko nodded, "We prefer not to use that term. It's give our business a negative image and the local authorities don't look to kindly on it. If you have to, refer to it as assertive marketing."

"Right, assertive marketing," Naruto repeated nonchalantly.

They arrived at the office a while later. A woman dressed in an pink blouse and a black skirt sat behind the reception desk, furiously grabbing paperwork and filling it out. A young woman and a boy were sitting quietly in the chairs on the opposite walls. The receptionist, the woman and child rose from their chair once Yahiko and Naruto walked in. They all bowed, but the receptionist was the only one who spoke, "Good day Oyabun. We have two new clients who want to speak with you."

"Thank you," Yahiko answered the woman. He looked at the two and said, "Alright, my office is down the halls and is the first door to the left. If you two could wait for me there, I'll be with you shortly."

The two smiled happily and exchanged joyful hugs. Naruto couldn't help but smile when he saw how happy they were. They followed him and Yahiko into the hallway, where Yahiko directed them to his office. Naruto went upstairs to the second floor and dropped his things on the floor by his bed.

"Get dressed," Yahiko said appearing behind him, "I want you to see how the Kuroihi do business."

"But I already know how to do that," Naruto protested, thinking back to when he headed the Kitsune Syndicate. Yahiko nodded, "True. But your actions say otherwise. Believe me, you messed up several times while you were kumicho of the Kitsune. Now go get dressed."

"What did I do wrong?" Naruto asked the man, who had already disappeared down the stairs. Naruto sighed and started changing his clothes as his Oyabun ordered. It only took him a few minutes to button up his shirt and tie his belt around his pants. Once his socks and shoes were on, he took his katana and tied the scabard around his waist. He reported downstairs to see Yahiko waiting patiently outside his own office. He looked Naruto's appearance once and said, "Not bad Naruto, but I must make several suggestions."

He removed the black tie around Naruto's neck and started to flip it up his shirt collar, "First, never display that tattoo so openly. Normally I wouldn't care either way if one of the other guys did it but you are the exception to that rule. We don't want you to be targeted so only show that tattoo if you have to."

Afterwards, he started to undo the top button on his shirt and pulled the shirt out from his pants, "Second, don't look so stiff. We're aren't at a conference with the other clans or a meeting of the Council. This is an informal client and, while it is necessary to look professional, this doesn't mean we can't look casual."

Finally, Yahiko reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of blue trimmed, wide lensed sunglasses. He put them over Naruto's eyes and said, "Finally, a rice hat on a suit would stand out too much so where these from now on."

"Can't I where something other than this?" Naruto asked, pulling the shades off his face. Yahiko shrugged, "I don't see why not. Just make sure it doesn't stand out too much."

Naruto nodded and ran back upstairs into the bedroom. He started combing through his unpacked bag, pulling out shirts, pants and all assortments of clothing. He had gone all the way to the bottom of the bag before finding what he was looking for: the pair of green goggles he wore for the longest time. It felt nostalgic to hold it, when he hadn't worn it in ages. He couldn't remember why he decided to stop wearing it, but he really didn't care. He put the pair of goggles on and covered his eyes. He went back downstairs to Yahiko, who was completely surprised.

"Boys will be boys I guess," Yahiko shrugged, "Okay, let's go meet our two guests."

Yahiko opened the door and went in first, followed by Naruto. The office was vaugely reminiscent of Hashi's or Gatou's office with the exception of a lack of paperwork cluttering the room. There were three chairs, one behind a large desk and the two facing the desk. Hunched over in one chair was the woman who stare silently at the ground. In the other chair was the child who was looking at the woman gloomily.

Yahiko closed the door and took his seat behind the desk. Naruto joined the man, standing firmly behind Yahiko's chair and watching the two guests. The woman was no older than probably twenty, while the child was probably twelve years younger. Both of them were dressed in worn clothing covered with rips and spots of dirt.

"Hello," Yahiko offered with a kind tone, "So what is it that has brought you to me today?"

"You are Boss Yahiko of the Dewaya Clan, correct?" the woman asked sheepishly, "My friends told me if anyone could fix my problem, it was you."

"It sound to me like this is something you would go to the Hokage for," Yahiko answered, "Unless it could incriminate on you."

"Oyabun, forgive me," her voice quaked weakly, "My father was a gambler and he borrowed a lot of money. When he couldn't pay the debt, the collectors killed him and sold everything we had but it still wasn't enough. They're coming for me and my little brother now and-"

"You want me to settle the matter," Yahiko finished.

"I'll pay whatever you ask," she said, "But please, do this! If not for me then for my brother."

"What is that?" Yahiko asked the woman. She looked at her little brother, who wore the most terrified expression that Naruto had ever seen. Naruto could understand why, though. He was only eight years old and was already a witness to the darker side of the world. His father was killed by debt collectors, and now the same debt collectors were after him and his sister. The woman rose from her chair and walked to Yahiko. Leaning over, she whispered a message into his ear which made Yahiko smirk, "You ask the impossible of me."

"Please," she begged, "I'll give you whatever you want."

"Anything?" Yahiko inquired of the woman with a lethal smirk. He threw Naruto a cunning glance which unnerved him. Was Yahiko thinking what Naruto thought he was going to do? Was this what Yahiko meant when he said _'How the Kuroihi do business?'_ If that was the case, then they could keep it.

The woman's eyes drifted to the ground before she looked at her brother, "Go and wait in the waiting room."

"But-" this child tried to protest only to stop when his sister raised her hand, "Don't worry. You're big sister will take care of everything."

The child hesitated, his gaze moving from his sister to Yahiko. He shook his head fearfully and said, "Please...be careful."

Once the child had left the room, the woman shakingly sank to her knees and started to undo her clothing. Naruto couldn't believe what he was witnessing. He didn't care if Yahiko was his Oyabun, he wasn't going to allow this to happen. Naruto's hand reached for his katana but stopped when Yahiko said, "What are you doing?"

"This is what you want, right?" the woman answered disgustedly which made Yahiko laugh, "I never said this is what I wanted. I only asked if you were willing to pay anything."

"I am," she answered dejectedly, ashamed to have intepreted what Yahiko wanted. Naruto eased his grip _on _Kitsune, unsure of what was happening. Yahiko smiled and patted her on the head, "That's good to hear. We'll discuss the terms of payment later."

The woman rose from the floor and hastily threw her clothes back on. Once she was completely dressed, Yahiko retrieved money from inside his desk and handed it to her, "I'm giving you one thousand ryou. I want you to take it and go buy yourself and your brother something to eat and some nice clothes. Come back tomorrow and I will have this whole affair sorted out."

"Thank you, Boss Dewaya," she bowed as she left. Once the door was closed Yahiko turned to face Naruto and said, "So what did you think?"

"You're a cruel, horrible person?" Naruto said, "I mean you got the poor girl thinking she had to do...whatever it was she was going to do."

Naruto didn't honestly know what it was she was going to do, but it was horrible that she had been led on to believe it. But who was the more despicable? Naruto and woman for being led to believe that was Yahiko's intent or Yahiko for making it seem so. Naruto contemplated these events as Yahiko said, "It would be a lateral move now that it occurs to me."

"When you were the kumicho to the Kitsune Syndicate, you failed to hide your intentions," Yahiko stated, "One of the most important rules in our business is: never tell anyone what you're thinking. Not even if they're your friends, family or member of your clan. Doing that would be disastrous. Only give away your intention, goal or thought once you've seen what the other party is capable of. If their full potential falls short of your own, then go ahead. However, if their potential is unknown, then doing so would be a fool's move."

Naruto found Yahiko's statement all too familiar, as he recalled a passage from Chapter 3 of "The Art of War" - '_If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the outcome of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle._' - When Naruto considered it, Yahiko was right. He didn't know the full strength of the Kitsune, aside from a few numbers, and knew almost nothing about the Watari. The defeat at the Land of Waves was inevitable.

"You can spend the rest of the day as you wish," Yahiko rose from behind his desk, "You can go train at the training grounds. If you want to go shopping, make sure you put it on the Kuroihi's Account. Hell, take a walk. Just make sure no one sees you."

"What are you going to do?" Naruto asked his Oyabun, who happily responded, "I have work to take care of."

Naruto followed Yahiko out of the office and into the waiting room. Yahiko immediately started speaking with his receptionist while Naruto went outside into the busy street. Readjusting his goggles so that his face was concealed, he set out in a random direction. He wasn't going anywhere in particular, a walk just sounded good at the moment.

...

**Author's Notes: **Alas, another chapter of Oyabun over and done with. Come back in three weeks for the next update of Oyabun on August 29th for the next exciting update of Oyabun. I am also curious if you guys think this story should have a pairing in it or not. If you think so, let me know in the review section. If you loved this chapter, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also take constructive criticism and speculation. Until then, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!

**Explanation of The Sicilian**

Note - I haven't read the book in ages so some details may be wrong.

**Background –** In the late 60's, Mario Puzo grabbed the attention of Americans his best selling novel: The Godfather. A few years later, he would write a spinoff based on the main characater's experiences in the island of Sicily and the famous Salvatore Guiliano, a Sicilian bandit notorious for giving the Sicilian Mob and the Italian Government a run for their money. While Michael Corleone plays only a subtle role in the book's plot, his role plays an important part on the fate of the story's hero. Ideally the story would be about Salvatore Guiliano, but a recurring theme is the idea of two fates for the Sicilian people: idolized in death or forgotten in life. Towards the end of the story, the reader is led to believe that Turi will live on in the hearts of Italy's people, but the reader is left with one question: Who was the Sicilian? Turi who died for his ideals, or Michael who played the pawn and survived?

**Plot Summary – **Salvatore "Turi" Guiliano and his cousin Aspannu Piciotta encounter a squad of carabineri who allow a cheese smuggler to go by their check point without trouble while they are required to pay a hefty fine. Angered, they shoot the guards down but Turi is gravely injured in the process. In an effort to save his cousin, Aspanu takes Turi to a monastery where he is nursed back to health by a monk. When he regains his health, the two friends return to the town of Montelepre to find their friends and neighbors arrested on suspiscion of harboring the duo. Later on, Turi and Aspanu brave a daring daylight rescue of their fellow villagers, dispatching four guads and one captain in the process. Amongst the prisoners found are two reknown bandits: Pasatempo and Terranova who are notorious for their various crimes.

Here starts the legacy of Turi, who begins a series of Robin Hood like deeds from robbing a military convoy off its weapons and money to kidnapping a prince, whom they treat like a client in a hotel. As time drags on, his actions attract the attention of Don Croce Malo, referred to as the friend of friends and the head mafia chieftain. Turi is offered a chance to become the don's right hand man, answering only to the great Don Croce himself but Turi refuses to be a pawn in the man's game, arguing that he would bring aobut the liberation of his oppresssed people.

The two men find themselves waging a war against each other, in which Turi appears to have the upper hand. However, Turi is tricked by the great Don into massacring a Communist rally which threatens the Catholic government. The scandal loses Turi much of the support of the Sicilian people people. Shortly afterwards, the government calls in a task force of soldiers to hunt him down. At the end of his rope, Turi strikes a deal with the famous Don Corleone, The Godfather, to be escorted to safety in exchange for a series of documents that Turi knows will give the Don the leeway he needs over the Italian Government and Sicilian Mob. Before leaving, Turi attempts one assassination upon Don Malo, which fails as the Don was never at his intended location. Turi realizes, too little too late, that the entire escape plan was a trap, orchestrated by Don Corleone as an insurance policy to protect his son, Michael Corleone, on his trip back to America. Turi is shot by his cousin, who dies thinking of their childhood as friends.

In America, Michael confronts his father about why he had done such a thing, to which the Don argues that Turi was a great man with much potential, but he was a dreamer. The world had no place for idealists such as Turi who wrought havoc upon the order of the world in the name of their self Michael laments that Turi could have changed the way of life in Sicily and brought about a change for the better, to which Vito explains if Turi had lived, nothing would have changed. He also explains that te documents will never be released so that Turi's parents can live the rest of their lives in peace. Through Turi's death, Vito was able to cement his heroism: A tale of a hero who died for his beliefs was more inspiring than a tale of a revolutionary who failed to bring change. However Turi's death was a vein death. In this Michael learns his first lesson: 'It is better to live a fruitful life than die a hero.'

Shortly afterwards, Aspanu dies under mysterious circumstances while in prison. All that is found on his body is a note reading: So Die All Who Betray Guiliano. The story ends with Turi's family grieving his loss while the great Don contemplates the fate of Italy without a man like Turi. Turi's Uncle, whom was a friend of Don Malo but was on neither side during their conflict, assures the Don that men like Turi will always exist.


	21. The Back Alley Brawl

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates or any related subjects.

**Author's Notes: **Well it's that time again. That time when I post another chapter of Oyabun for all the good little boys and girls to read. The rest of you get a lump of coal! Heh, no but seriously, enjoy the chapter. Thanks to everyone who decided to leave a review. It's been a heck of a past couple of weeks. My schedule just became busier with the start of my college year. Naturally, this means more time spent on projects, homework and study, and less time on my stories. Dare I say it, this will really put a bite in my schedule. In fact, I did not get the time I needed to reread the chapter so forgive me if there are any spelling errors or typos. Hell, I'm actually running on two hours of sleep and a mocha frapucino from the Starbucks downstairs. With that in mind, I would like to apologize ahead of time if there are any errors or problems with thc chapter. Before I move on to responding to reviews, I would like to mention that I'm putting a poll up on my account for votes for a pairing in this story. For those of you hoping for a yaoi, forget it. Like I said before, the Yakuza are known for openly opposing gays. To anyone who believes the otherwise, remember: not all fanfic authors do their homework. And now, on to the responses:

**darkness created by sorrow and pain:** I thank you for your vote towards a NaruHina. You made some excellent points in your review, but ultimately I will go with whatever the public decides.

**SurfWizard:** I'm glad you like it. Gamakichi will make an appearance around the same time as Jiraiya. I don't want to rush into that part because there are a lot of plot points I need to cover in the Chunin Exam Arc but worry not, he'll appear.

**DarkRavie:** Wait no longer for here is the next chapter!

**Peter Kim: **Jiraiya will make his appearance, don't go jumping the gun alright? Ebisu won't be much of a pest but we don't worry because we haven't seen the last of Konohamaru. Seriously, what is with the hate for Sakura and Sasuke? Personally, I think the two keep each other in check fairly well and, to some degree, make a fairly cute couple. I don't plan on killing either but Sasuke may meet his end earlier than expected, depending on how the story goes. hint hint, Gaara might win. I also looked into this nen you reference and I must say I am quite confused by it. I'l do some more research and see if I can incorporate it.

**Eric3D2B: **Thank you for your vote in the pairing. I don't plan on rushing anything unless my time gets ill spent. Then I may throw something together quickly for the sake of making a lengthy chapter. Worry not, though, I am on top of everything.

**I am the Bane of my Sword:** Actually, if you'll have noticed, the Kyubi has made several appearances already although none of them are actually explained or properly acknowledged and that is because Naruto was never told about the Kyubi so he is unaware that it exists inside of him. The Kyubi's power has also appeared once, during the second half of the warehouse arc. With that said, I would like to point out that the Kyubi will have a more prominent role later. This does not mean Naruto will develop a Fox Cloak, but we will still see its power surge inside of him.

**Urghazi:** I like your analysis and enjoy that kind of input. To comment, I must say: I'm glad you're enjoying how I apply the Art of War. As for Naruto, he really hasn't gone evil, but he hasn't become good either. The best wording would be: disillusioned to the world around him. Remember, there is no good and evil in humans. Only lighter shades of gray. I look forward to any further analysis that you can offer.

**Bloodyredshade:** Thank you for your kind words, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

**Ghostboy814: **Thank you for the compliment. The Kuroihi are actually modeled after the Yamaguchi-gumi, with the chairman as the central authority figure. It really is impossible to explain how a Yakuza is actually structuralized, I myself do not fully understand it, but it is nothing like a confederation or a heirarchy. There are a series of gangs, and each member of that gang has the ability to start their own gang. The higher up you are, the more power you have. That's really the only version that makes sense to me because all other explanations tend to leave out other sections and groups. I plan on explaining the Kuroihi's power structure sometime in the near future so if you could bear with me until then.

**T3KO:** Thank you for your compliment. Believe me, that homework was a lot of reading. It really is hard to sum it all up without forgetting something and I'm always adding on to what I know. With that done, thank you and I hope you enjoy the next chapter of Oyabun.

And so, without further distraction, I present to you, the continuation of Oyabun.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 21: The Back Alley Brawl**

Naruto walked the familiar streets of the village, caught up in the awe of the familiarity of his surroundings and yet unsure why. Needless to say, he remembered why it was so familiar when he saw his favorite haunt: The Ichiraku Ramen Bar where he and Iruka-sensei had spent so much time after the academy. Naruto had many fond memories from this restaurant, from his first bowl of each flavor ramen to his time spent chatting with Iruka. The ever alluring aroma of ramen filled the boy's nostrils as he reveled in the memories of the succulent soup.

"Hello there, have a seat," the elderly owner of the bar said happily, "So, what'll it be?"

"Eh," Naruto froze in a panic. He had been so caught up in his reverie that he had actually walked into the bar without realizing it. And worst of all, the bar's owner, Teuchi, had seen him. A quick glance around told him Ayame was by the stove boiling some water for the noodles. It was a miracle that they hadn't recognized him on the spot, especially after all the time he had spent here. Then again, with his long hair and his different attire, who could? Naruto had to find a way out before they recognized him. After all, he was in hiding and rushing into this stand where he had spent so much time was a dumb move. Thinking quickly, Naruto raised the collar of his shirt high enough to hide his whisker like marks and tattoo.

"Oh, hello Iruka," Teuchi greeted to someone behind Naruto. Naruto's head perked up at the name. Could it really have been Iruka? Naruto was torn between joy, sorrow, and worry. Iruka-sensei was really here. Naruto wanted so badly to hug the man, to tell his old instructor everything that had happened, to learn what his father figure had been doing all this time, to apologize for the recent string of events and beg for his forgiveness. And yet, he knew he couldn't. Naruto wanted to hug his old sensei so badly but knew that doing so would compromise his safety. Thus was the cause of his worry: what if Iruka-sensei recognized him? He loved the man like a father but there was no doubt that Iruka was furious about Naruto's actions, not only with the Kuroihi but in the Land of Waves.

More importantly, if Iruka recognized him then the chunin would be obligated to arrest him. Naruto had to get out of the bar quickly, but he couldn't leave because doing so would mean he had to pass by Iruka. All Iruka needed was one good look at him to recognize him. He couldn't stay though, for the same reason. Doing the first thing that came to his mind, Naruto sat in a stool on the furthest away from Iruka which was at the opposite end of the bar.

"Hey," he heard Iruka say sheepishly, "I'll have the usual."

Teuchi began to busy himself with getting Iruka's order while asking, "Are you feeling any better?

"Yeah," Iruka murmured, "It's been quiet around here without Naruto."

"It sure has," Teuchi agreed, "There isn't as much ruckus as before, which I don't mind, but business is taking a bit of a hit."

"Yeah," Iruka smiled dreamily, "He always loved to eat here. Sometimes for all three meals."

"You know Iruka," Teuchi began, "I thought you would have been more upset when Naruto ran off to the Kuroihi during the convoy ambush."

"I was angry and I hated him for it," Iruka started, which felt like a stab at Naruto's chest. It was a heavy weight that pierced him where his heart was and numbed his body. The sensation alone sent chills down his spine. How could Iruka feel that way? Not that Naruto blamed him, but he thought Iruka would have been more understanding of his situation. It took all of Naruto's self control to keep himself from losing out to his emotions. This wasn't kind of business where one could wear their emotions on their sleeves, Naruto knew that but it didn't do anything to make it hurt less. Ready to cry, Naruto weakly looked away from the two and stared blankly at the wall so he could let out a silent sob.

"At first, anyway," Iruka added quickly. Naruto cast Iruka a side glance but turned his attention to the pool of chopsticks when Iruka shot him a look. He felt Iruka's gaze travel up and down his body before he heard the chunin sigh, "But I guess it was sort of inevitable with Naruto."

"Inevitable?" Teuchi asked as he began pouring beef flavored broth into a bowl of noodles. Iruka nodded and went on, "Well most people in Naruto's position would gone in two different directions. There are other paths he could have gone, but these two happen to be the most likely: he would have sank away into a sea of his own despair or he would have gone and sought the approval from a different group of people. In this case it was the latter but, sadly, both are paths to self destruction."

Teuchi looked at Iruka grimly and asked, "You seem to know a lot about this."

"I was in his shoes once," Iruka said rather plainly, "And sometimes I felt like going to the former, and other times the latter. If things played out differently, I might have been that criminal whom Naruto met. In any case, what's happened has happened and I'm sure he's better off."

"Oh come now, Iruka," Teuchi said patronizingly, "You think he was better off as a criminal then as a proud ninja of the village?"

"I didn't mean it like that," Iruka said defensively, "I mean, I think he was happier with them than he was with us. Let's face it Teuchi: Naruto didn't have a lot besides us: you, me, and Ayame. Everyone else held him in either contempt or hate. Who knows? Maybe he found what he was looking for in the Kuroihi Syndicate."

"But Iruka, didn't he throw himself off the bridge in the Land of Waves?" Teuchi asked, "It just doesn't make sense to me: Why would he throw away everything he had to become a criminal who killed himself on his boss's orders?"

"Sometimes Teuchi," Iruka said with a knowing tone, "People will do anything just to have their existence acknowledged, even if it means doing something crazy."

"But how do we know Naruto killed himself on his Oyabun's orders? Maybe he did it because he didn't find what he was looking for," Teuchi said with a mark of disdain. With a disappointed look, Iruka finished, "Then he's even more deserving of compassion or pity. Think about it: If what you say is true, then Naruto must have thought he would never find the acknowledgement or admiration of others. Thinking that was true must have broken him."

"Iruka..."

Iruka sniffed quietly, "I wanted Naruto to be happy, even if he went against my wishes. I just hope that was what he found."

With those words, Naruto slipped out of the bar, all the while thinking about Iruka's words. Even though Naruto had become a Yakuza, despite Iruka's wishes and hopes, Iruka was forgiving and sympathetic. He had expected disappointment or hatred, but certainly not recognition or empathy. Shame weighted heavy on the blonde's shoulders. He had completely forgotten about his former instructor while his instructor thought of nothing but him. What kind of person was he? A terrible one, no doubt. He didn't deserve Iruka's affection and Iruka didn't deserve whatever he went through after his feigned suicide.

Guilt ridden, Naruto returned to the office and went into his room. He spent that night in a restless sleep.

...

It came as no surprise to Naruto when someone shook him as he lay in the bed. A quick glance at the clock told him it was two thirty in the morning. Looking over his shoulder to see who had awoken him, Naruto saw a tall figure dressed in a white dress shirt with rolled up sleeves. The figured shook Naruto again and said, "Wake up kid! We got patrol in half an hour."

Naruto slowly rose off the mattress, too tired to go any faster but too awake to just stay in bed. Moving over to the side of his bed, Naruto sat up and rubbed his eyes. He had been asleep since eight o'clock but he felt exhausted. Not a single drop of energy in him. It was one of the worst nights in his life. He had slept, but not really slept. It was a dreamless dream that made him toss and turn continuously for hours without end. Iruka's words still tormented him.

Finally finding the energy to climb off the bed, Naruto casually walked over to the dresser and started to change into the attire that Yahiko had purchased him the day before. He had thrown on a fresh pair of slacks, socks, shoes and a belt but was unable to find his orange dress shirt. After a few minutes of endless searching, Naruto gave up and put on one of his black shirts. He couldn't hide the shirt, but he was sure no one would notice if he buttoned the coat and popped his collar. Once he adorned the necessary adjustments to his coat, Naruto proceeded to attach _Kitsune_ to his waist and his goggles over his eyes.

Once he was dressed, he went downstairs onto the main floor where two others were waiting patiently for his arrival. The one who had awoken him thrust a ball of rice wrapped in seaweed into his hand and said, "Here's breakfast. Now come on, we're already late and the other are probably getting restless."

Complying quietly, Naruto bit into the salted rice ball and followed them out of the building and into the dark night. The streets were barren of any life with the exception of a few strays picking through garbage and the homeless sleeping in the alleys under any cloth they could get their hands on. Watching them reminded Naruto of the Land of Waves, except there weren't as many and there were no children among them.

Pushing the memories into the back of his mind, Naruto took another hungry bite out of the rice ball. He followed the two Dewaya down the path that Naruto knew led to Purgatorio. The district took on a completely different appearance at night. The dark shadows concealed the garbage that littered the streets while the pale moon light shimmered beautifully off the glass windows, beautifying the empty streets. A stray dog wandered out of a nearby alley and started sniffing the litter. As Naruto and the two Dewaya came closer, it let out a low growl that sounded like quiet grumbling.

At first Naruto froze in panic, but a quick glance at the dog's eyes told him everything. It wasn't looking at him but at the rice ball in his hand. Naruto sighed and threw the rice ball into a nearby alley, with the dog following shortly after. It let out a pleased yelp as it started eating Naruto's _breakfast_.

"Geez kid, it's just a dog," the taller of the two Dewaya pointed out as they went further down the street. Naruto shrugged and said, "Better the rice ball than me."

The tall one gave him an amused smirk and answered, "I hope you don't act the same way around our clients."

Naruto personally didn't care for the cryptic nature of the comment since he was too exhausted to process it. This did not hamper his mind from recalling the events of the previous day. Specifically the words that came out of Iruka's mouth: _'I just hope that was what he found.'_ It posed a question Naruto had never considered in all his time in the Kuroihi. Was he happy? Had he found happiness in the Kuroihi?

Naruto was at a loss for how to comprehend it. He wasn't happy in the Ninkyo Dantai but he wasn't happy before either. Now that he dwelled on it, the times when he was content were far in between. What kind of life had he fallen into? Not only had he made himself miserable, but he had made those closest to him miserable. Did this, in turn, make him a bad person? He was so caught up in what was going on that there seemed to have been no chance for him to settle. In all fairness, he had been in hiding ever since he first took up bushido and kenjutsu. Was fate trying to send him a message?

Nah! He was being far too analytical about it. He should be thankful that Iruka still cared for his well being and his happiness. And yet, Naruto couldn't shake a worried feeling in the back of his head. Something still felt unsettled.

The three Dewaya came to a stop outside a store at the end of the street at a large brick building that was completely boarded up. There was a sign on the door reading: Notice of Condemnation. The tall Dewaya who awoke Naruto took two cigarettes and a lighter out of his pocket. He handed one of the cigarettes to the other Dewaya and lit both of them with the lighter. Replacing the small device into his pocket, the man took a long drag from the cigarette and said, "They're late. That's good for us since it means less work."

"You wish!" someone said from behind them. Naruto, still in a disoriented haze, spun around and drew his katana from its scabbard. He held his katana parallel to the ground with the tip pointed at a man's chest. The man was dressed in the all too familiar Kuroihi attire. His suit was unbuttoned though, and the dress shirt was open to expose a bare chest. Across the front of his body, Naruto saw the tattoo of a naked couple positioned on top of one another inside a blooming flower. The man was face down and only the back of his head was visible but the woman wore a face of pure ecstasy.

"Whoa, calm down," the man said. Naruto looked at the his face, which was covered with greying hair that ran past his ears and down to his shoulders. An eye patch went over his left eye, which did little to cover a large scar that ran down from his forehead to his chin. Behind the man were two others who were dressed much more appropriately, albeit their hair was a mess. The man looked at two behind him and asked, "Whose the kid Shinji?"

"Naruto, I think," Shinji, the man that awoke him said, "Oyabun's Boss wanted him inducted into the clan. Hell, if I know why."

"Ah," the man said. He looked back down at Naruto, who still pointed his katana at the man's chest. The man rolled his eyes angrily and said, "You can put the sword down, Naruto. That thing hurts."

"Sorry," Naruto answered sheepsihly, replacing the katana in its scabbard. The man sighed and told Shinji, "You better keep an eye on the kid before he kills someone. We'll leave the collections to you guys. We're knocking off."

"Alright," Shinji said, taking a long drag on his cigarette. With that, the three men went off in random directions. Naruto turned around to face Shinji and the other Dewaya, who were already stamping out their first cigarettes and starting their seconds ones. Shinji took out another cigarette from inside his coat and handed it to Naruto.

Naruto had no idea how to react to this gesture, which was incredibly stupid in his own opinion. He didn't smoke and was definitely too young to. Shinji must have seen the confused look on his face because he said, "Believe me, it helps."

Naruto rolled his eyes and pocketed it. He would throw it away later but not right away.

"Alright, Miji go down Purgatorio and have a look around," Shinji ordered, "Naruto take the hot springs."

"How come he gets the hot springs?" Miji asked, to which Shinji replied, "Because you were peeping instead of doing your job you voyeur."

Miji grumbled defeatedly and walked off, leaving Shinji and Naruto alone. Shinji shook his head disapprovingly, "Forget about him."

Shinji reached into his pocket and handed Naruto a slip of paper, "Oyabun said to give you this list of all the businesses in that area. Today's collection day so make sure you stop by every last one of them and get the money."

"Okay, so how should I handle it?" Naruto asked, anxious to get the whole thing over with but too tired to care.

"Remind them that its collection day but don't say it. Hint it," Shinji instructed, "Say something like, 'I'm here for what's due.' If they get stingy, run some _damage_ control."

"Damage control?" Naruto repeated, noting the serious tone in Shinji's voice. Shinji nodded, "Remind them whose in control and, if that fails, cause some damage. Nothing too rough, just so they know who they're in debt too."

"Alright," Naruto took the list and pocketed it. Shinji tossed away his second cigarette and lit a third, "Finally, when you get the money, put it in your inside coat pocket. Don't leave anywhere it can be seen because pick pockets these days have been getting cockier."

"Okay then," Naruto said, growing anxious. He turned to leave but was stopped when Shinji added, "Oh and one more thing: We've been getting reports of an old man whose been seen peeping on the woman's bath. He's got long spiky hair and wears a red vest. If you see him, take care of it."

"Anything else?" Naruto asked with feigned politeness. Shinji shook his head, "Nope. Now go do your job."

Shinji walked away, leaving Naruto to his own devices in Purgatorio. He let out a tired yawn and started walking down an alley he knew would take him to the road to the Springs. Taking the list out of his pocket and unfolding it. The list named twenty stores: two delis, three bakeries, five restaurants, four bars, and six clubs. He knew several of them, having walked by them all the time whenever he went to the nearby Ichiraku. None of them were within walking distance and would take at least thirty minutes in between to get to each. With an exasperated sigh, he muttered, "This is going to be a long day."

And Naruto was right. Most of the businesses wouldn't open until six at the earliest. He spent the better part of two hours wandering around the Hot Springs aimlessly. At some point he decided to time himself and see how quickly he could get from one end to the next and back. He ran what must have been ten laps before he got bored of that as well. By that time, Naruto looked up at the sky to see a glimmer of light shooting across the horizon. The sun was finally rising and casting its golden rays down on the village. As the sunlight slowly crept on the village, Naruto decided to stop fooling around and head to the first business on the list. It was a small bakery that Naruto had passed often so he knew the path there completely by heart.

It was a short, fifteen minute walk down the street which was slowly lit up by the rising sun in the horizon. Gleams of light slowly drove away the night's shadows, as the villagers arose from their sleep to attend to their business for that day. Store owners started opening their shops, restaurant managers started their ovens and stoves which filled the air with scent of freshly cooked food, and farmers from the surrounding area traveled down the street hoping to vend their product to the local grocers or markets.

When Naruto finally arrived at the bakery, he found an elderly woman tending the front of the shop. He followed the elderly woman inside to find the bakery's shelves sparse and empty of product. The elderly woman must not have seen or heard Naruto because she remained completely oblivious to his presence. As Naruto looked her over, he began to question the sense in having to collect money from her. She seemed completely frail and struggled just to walk straight. In fact, it seemed that she was all alone by herself.

Although Naruto would hate having to do it, this was his job. He made a small cough in effort to catch her attention. She went about rolling some dough in the back of the store, seemingly undisturbed by Naruto. This time, he let out a louder cough which indefinitely caught her attention because she jumped and spun around, "Whose?"

She wore a weak, terrified look on her face which made Naruto pity her. She sized Naruto up and down before saying, "Why, hello young man. You gave me quite the scare. I thought you were here to collect the tribute. You really shouldn't dress like that. It might give people the wrong impression."

"About that," Naruto began disdainfully, walking up to the counter, "I am. It's time to collect the _tribute_. Do you have it?"

"Oh...oh my," the old woman scoffed, "So young too..."

The old woman went to the front counter and opened a shelf containing a large assortment of utensils from rolling pins to spatulas. She retrieved a brown bag out of the shelf and handed it to Naruto, "Here it is: 75,000 ryou for the month."

"Okay thanks," Naruto said, turning to leave. As he walked out of the door, he swore he heard her say, "Another egg gone bad...such a shame, and so young too."

Naruto wasn't too sure how to take that comment, especially when he considered Iruka's words from the night before. What had happened to him? What happened to the kid who used to scream about his future as the next Hokage?

**He was arrested for association with the Yakuza, remember? **Naruto paused. It was that voice; the dark, malicious voice that haunted him. He had heard it so many times and yet he never knew where it came from or who was saying it. It was a disembodied voice that followed him, mocked him.

Naruto paused when he realized that a villager across the street was giving him a strange look. An angry look. A quick glance of his surroundings assured him that others were also giving estranged looks, or generally avoiding his line of sight. Naruto took the message and decided not to linger any longer than he had to. He opened the list again and went to the next business.

...

Three uneventful weeks went by in what Naruto felt was an instant. Almost nothing happened since the collections on his first day. Every day afterwards was spent doing nothing but wandering the Hot Springs aimlessly. There was the occasional break where he was aloud to take one hour off the patrol to get lunch or eat a snack. Aside from the routine events of the day, nothing happened. Nothing, no fights, no brawls, no thefts, or situations.

Apparently, the increasing tensions between Kuroihi and their as of yet unnamed opponent, and the ever approaching Chunin Exams was putting everyone in the underworld on edge. No one, not even petty criminals and pick pockets would dare do anything to upset the already shaky peace, assuming anyone had the nerve to call it that. Even Yahiko, who had a calm and pleasant demeanor, could be seen in his office pacing up and down for hours at time with three cigarettes in his mouth.

While the jobs and duties were fairly dull, Naruto did enjoy some of the perks. For starter's, no one dared look at him with hateful eyes. This was due equal parts because they thought he, Naruto, was dead and because they were concerned about any retaliation that may come their way if they gave a Ninkyo Dantai an angry look. They still gave him discontented or contempt looks but it seemed less targeted towards his existence and more towards his status. Naruto could live with that though since he knew it was standard when someone associated with any of the Syndicates.

Naruto's favorite perk, though, was the gifts given to the clan members by their clients. In one case, Naruto met the two siblings from several days before. The elder sister recognized Naruto on the spot and offered to buy him a drink. Of course Naruto refused, but the woman's insistence got the better of him so the two of them settled for a glass of orange soda.

Needless to say, Naruto was enjoying his new found status as a member of the Dewaya.

This day was no different than any other, Naruto was making his usual rounds around the Hot Springs, probably on his fifth lap around the area. Deciding to break the pattern and refrain from making it routine, Naruto turned the corner into a side street that narrowed into an alley. He went about twenty meters before he heard a familiar voice scream, "LET ME GO!"

"We got a few minutes before he gets here!" a second voice said gruffly, "Let's mess with these punks, huh?"

"Put him down Kankuro," a third voice said, this one more feminine. Naruto ran down the alley, reaching a corner where the voices appeared to be coming from.

"Please let him go!" another voice said, this one childish and much more effeminate.

"Yeah! He didn't do anything to you!" a fourth voice added, this one much heavier and more nasily. Naruto peeked around the corner to catch a glimpse of what was going on. There was a teenager covered from head to toe in black clothes and a black cap. His face was covered in a strange purple make up that ran in strange patterns. Strapped to his back was a large item wrapped in bandages from head to toe, with a patch of brown hair protruding out from the top.

The teen held Konohamaru up to his face by his collar_. Kankuro_, Naruto thought, _Who would dare try to hurt the grandson of the Third Hokage? Or maybe he doesn't know._ Upon further inspection, Naruto noted that his head band didn't belong to Konoha or Kiri. He couldn't even identify it although he could assume they were here to participate in the Chunin Exam.

Behind the teen was a blonde haired girl in a purple dress and fish net clothes. Attached to her back was a large fan, which she kept folded away. Before Kankuro were Sakura, Hinata, and two others. The first was a bright, red haired girl dressed in a pink skirt and a red blouse. Her hair was fashioned into two pigtails that ran straight up into the air. The other was a brown haired boy wearing glasses and a blue turtleneck. A small booger slid out of his nose, stopping just short of his upper lip. Sakura, Konohamaru, and two children wore horrified expressions on their faces while Hinata wore a lax, calm yet controlled expression. Kankuro clearly reveled in this fear, but seemed more focused on Konohamaru.

Konohamaru wriggled violently, kicking at his captor while screaming, "LET GO OF ME YOU JERK!"

Naruto was at another cross roads. On the one hand, Konohamaru was in trouble and it was obvious that neither Sakura or Hinata were going to help him. However, if he interfered then he would risk his cover. But was more important: someone's life or his own safety? In either case, someone would end up dead. Still unsure of what to do, Naruto considered his options as he watched the events unfold.

Leering angrily, the teen said, "You're feisty. But not for long."

"HEY! CUT IT OUT! IT HURTS!" Konohamaru pleaded to no avail. Kankuro smirked triumphantly and added, "First I'll waste this squirt and then I'll waste the rest of them."

"Fine, I'm not involved in any of this," the blonde girl added blankly, turning away from Kankuro as he tightened his grip on the small child's neck. Just then, Kankuro let out a loud grunt of pain and dropped Konohamaru to the ground. Kankuro looked up at a tree angrily and growled, "GRAH! Why you!"

Naruto followed the teen's gaze to a tree branch where none other than Uchiha Sasuke was sitting with a smug look on his face. He tossed a pebble up into the air, and caught it as it fell to the ground. With a cool tone, he said, "You're a long way from home and way out of your league."

All eyes were on Sasuke, especially the girls who gave him adoring looks, as he descended from the tree and crushed the pebble into dust with his bare hand, "Get lost."

Naruto felt the anger bubble up inside of him, as Sasuke took the center of attention. He hated how the _Great, Last Uchiha_ always took the spotlight everywhere he went. For once, Naruto wasn't angry out of envy but contempt. It was nothing but despicable how Sasuke could attract the eyes of everyone present simply by breathing and act so ignorant about it. He suspected that the boy had grown immune to it after several years but that didn't excuse his bhavior.

However, Sasuke's appearance worked to his advantage. Now, Naruto wouldn't have to expose himself. Sasuke may have been a jerk but he was more than capable of defending himself from the other shinobi present.

"Well, looks like someone wants to fight," Kankuro grinned with mischievious happiness, removing the large item from his back, "Well then, let's get started."

He dropped the item on the ground, crumbling the earth beneath it, and started to undo the wrapping. A look of fear crossed the face of the girl behind him as she gasped, "Kankuro, you aren't seriously going to use _The Crow_ for this, are you?"

"What he doesn't know, won't hurt him, Temari," Kankuro said calmly, to which Temari callously responded, "Fine, but make it quick."

With that said, Kankuro unveiled the contents of the wrapping: a life sized, four-armed, wooden puppet with the most hideous face Naruto had ever seen. It's jaw hung wide open, revealing a large bladed instrument that protruded out like a tongue. Kankuro raised his hand and, with a flick of the finger, made the puppet lunge on Sasuke. Sasuke dived out of its path and performed a series of hand signs, "_Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu__!" _

A large ball of fire emerged out of his mouth and enveloped the puppet. Everyone present gasped in surprise, except for Kankuro. With another flick of his fingers, _Crow_ emerged out of the fire only this time with spikes coming out of the palm of his hands. This time Sasuke chose to charge it instead of run, throwing himself at the puppet with kunai in each finger. The sound of metal colliding reverberated through the air. The two fighters flew away from each other, the force of the impact sending the two flailing. Kankuro was able to recover first and retook the advantage by striking at Sasuke while he was still trying to get back on his feet.

At this point, Naruto had no choice. Sasuke would be impaled if no one helped him and it was clear that the girls and two boys were too absorbed in shock to act. As Naruto raced out of the corner and drew his katana, he heard Sakura scream, "SASUKE!"

Adrenaline rushed through every vein in his body as Naruto took _Kitsune _in both hands and rushed in. He dashed past Sakura, Hinata, Konohamaru and the two other children, much to their surprise. As the Crow moved in to make the kill, Naruto stepped forward and raised the katana. The puppet reverberated backwards off the sword and landed behind its master.

Naruto let out an exasperated gasp. What he just done? He had risked, no, sacrificed everything to save Sasuke. His safety and his life, all for someone he hated. Why? What had compelled to do such a thing. He didn't care for Sasuke's life, so why risk his own?

"Who the heck are you?" Kankuro growled. Were it not for the goggles that concealed most of his face, everyone would have seen the terrified look on Naruto's face. Swallowing a lump in his throat and immediately thinking about ramen, Naruto calmly said, "I should ask you the same thing. Tell me, how pathetic are the ninja in your village that you need to pick on kids younger than yourself?"

_What!?_ Naruto thought. _Why would I say that! This guy could probably snap me in half if he wanted to!_ Naruto was certainly in for it now, because Kankuro's face contorted into pure, blind rage. He growled, "Excuse me? You want to say that again?"

"You heard me," Naruto responded bitterly. He blinked. Did those words just come out of his mouth? What was wrong with him? He knew better than to show his frustration so openly and yet here he was insulting Kankuro as if there was no tomorrow. How big of an idiot was he?

"That's it!" Kankuro flicked his fingers, which brought the puppet back to life. Naruto could only watch in utter terror as the Crow stepped forward menacingly. Naruto wanted to run, but his feet refused to move from their spot. He had to get out of its path. As a long sword protruded out of The Crow's mouth, Naruto heard Temari yelp, "Kankuro stop! He's a Kuroihi! You know what they'll do to you if they find out."

"You honestly don't believe those stupid rumors do you?" Kankuro growled, "I can take down anyone they send my way!"

"Kankuro! That's enough! Back off!" said a low voice that came from the tree where Sasuke had appeared. Naruto's eyes darted towards the tree where a red haired teen, younger than the other two but significantly older than everyone else, stood upside down. He was draped mostly in a fishnet attire, with the exception of a giant gourd on his back. What little bit of his eyes could be made out were covered in deep, black rings that gave him a demonic appearance.

"Tch! I didn't even sense him," Sasuke muttered rather loudly. Naruto couldn't help but grow angry at Sasuke's comment. How could he think about himself at a time like this when the other's lives, and even his own, was at risk? Still, Sasuke was right. This new arrival must have been quite the ninja to be able to sneak up on them so casually and intimidate Kankuro.

"Oh...hey...Gaara," Kankuro murmured, "What's up?" he asked quietly. Gaara looked at him disapprovingly and commented, "Shut up!"

"Oh...okay," Kankuro answered. Gaara stepped down from his perch on the tree branch and stared the Kankuro down angrily, even though Kankuro was taller. Kankuro cowered weakly under Gaara's gaze and Naruto understood why. Even from this distance Naruto could feel the killing intent emanating off of the one called Gaara. Gaara turned around and unconvingly said, "I apologize for my brother's arrogance. It won't happen again."

With that, Gaara faced Kankuro again who had already spun around and paced off with Temari. Gaara followed after them but stopped in his tracks to say, "Whose worse? Genin that pick on children or genin who need bosuzoku to save them?"

With that, Gaara turned into column of sand and disappeared. Gaara's comment clearly did not carry well with Sasuke who pushed Naruto aside and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Before he vasnished, Naruto swore he heard the Uchiha scowl, "Damn Kuroihi."

Naruto shook his head, angry at Sasuke's pride which hindered his ability to at least thank him for saving his life. Sighing, he replaced Kitsune in its scabbard and turned around to see Konohamaru's two friends hiding fearfully behind the boy, with Sakura and Hinata flanking him. No one said a word, as Naruto brushed past them and kept walking. He only went about two paces before he heard Sakura say, "That's it? Not even a hello, Naruto?"

Naruto was surprised. It wasn't the fact that she knew who he was the amazed him, on the contrary, he knew they would recognize him on the spot. But what really bothered him was that she expected him to be friendly after their last encounter. What on Earth made her think that he would even acknowledge her presence? She had plenty of chances to acknowledge his presence back in the academy but she didn't even look his way! Her arrogance infuriated the blonde but he remembered those words of wisdom, _This is not the kind of business where one can wear their emotions on their sleeves._ Taking those words to heart, Naruto ignored her and kept walking. There was nothing to say because nothing needed to be said. Turning the corner casually, Naruto disappeared down the alley and into the busy streets.

...

**Author's Notes:** Well folks, I'm sorry to say it but that's the end of this chapter. I know some of you hoped for more and others probably think the ending was shit, so I beg for your forgiveness. The next update will come in 6 weeks time: on Friday, October 10th. If you loved the story let me know in the reviews section. I also take constructive criticism and analysis on what will come in the next chapter. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out to bed.


	22. The Bets are On!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates or any related subjects.

**Author's Notes:** Hello again guys! It's that time again! I hope the last couple of weeks haven't been too bad on you guys. I'm sorry for the delay in the update but my Freshman year in Northern Illinois University has been...interesting to say the least. Thank you to all of you guys who were nice enough to leave a review or a comment in the reviews section. I really wish I had more time to work on this but my schedule is incredibly busy and I have little time left to myself. Needless to say, I am very tired. As such I have had no time to reread the story for errors. I apologize for that. Also, I have an **Important Announcement about the Poll** at the bottom of this chapter. Be sure to read it once you're done. I don't have much more to say so I think I'll skip straight to responding to the reviews:

**Kaiya Uzumaki: **I'm really glad you pointed that out. The truth is I had several different versions of that ending planned out, but I couldn't flesh any of them out the way I wanted them to. The ending I originally planned on using had Naruto say, 'Sakura...what's make you think Konoha is any different than the Kuroihi? We both kill for money and power. The only difference is _we_ get a slap on the wrist for it.' I tried to pan that ending out, or fit it in but time was something I was running out of and I was too tired to continue working. I hope you can forgive my carelessness and that this does not hinder you from reading.

**Dark Ravie: **Wait no longer! For I bring cake in fanfiction form!

**Peter Kim: **Alas, Nen is something I have difficulty wrapping my mind around. I tried, but my poor brain can only take so much abuse. Please forgive my inability to work it in as a plot point. Also, Sasuke and Sakura are sort of self indulgent so try and be patient with them.

**thack: **Thank you for the comment, it was very kind.

**alteris: **Thanks for the kind words. Like I said, sleep deprivation was a strong factor in that chapter's writing. I admit that I've grown accustomed to less than a few hours of sleep a day, but I do miss the refreshing feeling that comes from a goodnight's rest.

**Hippie Painter: **Thank you for the comment. I'm not to sure what you mean by real, though.

**Dark Soul Reaver: **Okay, I added Anko as an option in the poll, so worry not. I think the two would find some common ground, but I will ultimately go with the what the most voted for pairing in the poll is.

**Draco Silverclaw: **I'm glad you loved the story. Naruto will eventually learn to master Kitsune and his wind element. However, let's not jump the gun okay? It'll happen when it happens if it happens. Remember, every second you live as a criminal is another toss of the die.

**Sharkbeard: **A state of the art story? That is certainly new. Thank you for your comment! I hope you continue to read and enjoy this story.

**bossdemonsword: **Thank you for the fave!

**apathetica: **I'm glad you're enjoying this story. Honestly, Naruto has led an increasingly stressful life and, as you can see, it has made him a miserable introvert. Therefore I feel it is time to introduce a little light into his life to make him happy. Now it's just a question of who.

**Curse of Immortality: **Thank you for the compliment. I did a lot of research into the Yakuza for another of my individual projects. I added Yuki as a pair but you never told me who she is. Is she Princess Yuki from the first Naruto story?

That's about it for the responses. Without further ado, I give you the next chapter of Oyabun.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 22: The Bets are On!**

Naruto didn't stop walking until he arrived at the office. Maybe it was the stress of the earlier events that had gotten to him. Or maybe he was just too tired to carry on with the rest of his shift. Whatever the reason, he locked the door behind him and sank to the floor. His goggles felt tight around his face, so he pulled it off to relieve himself of the tension. As it came off, he felt the grooves of the goggles embedded across his face. He threw the goggles to the floor and sighed.

_What made me save Sasuke?_ That was the question he so desperately wanted to answer. By saving the last living Uchiha, Naruto blew his cover and only made more problems for himself. Why would he do that though? WHAT THE HELL DID HE CARE!? _I don't even like the bastard_!_ He can rot for all I care!_

But he couldn't dwell on those thoughts. He needed to think of a plan. He had to do something that would help him sort the problem out, but what? What could he do that would make sure none of them talked?

First: he needed to calm down! Panicking wasn't going to help anyone and it would only make the situation worse. He tried to think about ramen, hoping the steaming broth and tender noodles would put his mind at ease. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Ramen wasn't going to help him after his big mistake. He cursed under his breath. He racked his brain for a solution, thinking as hard as he could. At that moment, Yahiko appeared from the door on the opposite end of the room.

Yahiko's eyebrows shot up in surprise, his mouth hanging slightly open. Once again, Naruto cursed. It was just his luck to run into his Oyabun after the earlier events. What was he going to tell him? More importantly, what would he do when Yahiko found out.

"Why're you crying?" Yahiko asked pressingly, his voice trying to take on a paternal tone. Naruto popped an eyebrow in confusion, "I'm not crying."

Yahiko unrolled a handkerchief inside his coat pocket and wiped both of Naruto's eyes. He held the cloth before Naruto, silencing the blonde. The very spot of the handkerchief that touched Naruto's face was wet. Once again donning his paternal tone, Yahiko said, "Those aren't tears of joy I just wiped Naruto. What the hell happened?"

Still promptly confused, Naruto ran the back of his hand over his eyes and felt warm tears be rubbed across his hand. He looked at it in disbelief. He was crying, but why? He didn't even feel the tears rolling down his cheeks, or the choking feeling in his throat. He had been tearing, and didn't even know it.

"Here," Yahiko said, crouching down and holding a cigarette to Naruto, "It'll calm your nerves."

"I don't smoke," Naruto answered sheepishly with a choking noise. Once Naruto was startled. Yahiko shook his head and put the cigarette in Naruto's hand, closing the blonde's fingers over it. Then he added, "That's exactly what most of them say before they start. Trust me Naruto, you'll want it."

Yahiko stood up and disappeared into the back of the building. Before he disappeared, Naruto was sure he saw Yahiko light a cigarette of his own. Naruto couldn't place it but something about his Oyabun was off. He seemed much more affectionate than usual.

Naruto pushed it out of his mind, since he had his own worries that needed to be addressed. For starters: Sakura identified him in the presence of Hinata, Sasuke, Konohamaru and those two others. He had to take care of that problem...but there was no way he would be able to keep them from talking with conventional means. That meant the only option he had would be to make them go away _permanently_.

He was more than capable of doing that. It would have been easy, as well. He did it a lot in the Land of Waves, both directly and indirectly. This couldn't be any different. All he had to do was put the katana through them once, making sure to hit something vital like a lung or the heart, and blood loss would take care of the rest. If he was careful and took the proper steps, then he wouldn't even have to worry about taking heat for it.

Yet, something about the whole idea wasn't right. The thought of watching the life leave their bodies was too horrifying for him to even imagine. To see the light leave their eyes and the breath escape their lips. What did it matter though? They weren't his friends and he hardly knew them beyond a name and a face. They were no different from Gatou or any of the other yakuza he had killed or seen be killed. What more was there to it? Nothing! That was all there was: a stab. So why did it seem so wrong?

Naruto arose from the floor, rubbing his eyes one last time to check for tears. His hands were dry, which was a good sign. He still wanted to know why there were tears in the first place. It was not as if he had a reason to cry. He learned that lesson a long time ago: Crying doesn't bring anything. You had to make things better for yourself, because no one was going to do that for you.

Just like this new dilemma before him. He had to fix it himself because no one was going to bother helping him. Well no one except for maybe his Oyabun or Hashi-sensei but the two of them were wrapped up in their own problems. He couldn't put more on their plate by telling them that he blew his cover. He had to fix the problem himself. But was he willing to go far enough to kill?

He needed to think this out first. Retrieving his goggles from their place on the floor, he adjusted them over his eyes and headed out. A walk felt like a good idea at the moment. It was probably just the thing he needed to clear his head and get his thoughts straight. He didn't notice it earlier, but the day was rather hot to be in a suit. Naturally, he took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, feeling relief as the air breathed against his thin, orange dress shirt.

He reached the hot springs, casually walking by the fence that lined the perimeter of the area. He heard splashes and swishes coming from within the hot spring, accompanied with the sounds of playful laughter, cheerful yelps...and soft snickering? Who would be snickering in a bath house? Needless to say, he didn't have to look far to see his answer: An old, white haired man dressed in green clothes with a red vest and armor. Around his back was a large, apparently heavy scroll. Beside him was a small orange toad in a blue vest. The two were peering excitedly into a small hole in the fence, giggling obscurely and with large smiles on their rose-red faces.

"The view just keeps getting better over time!" the man snickered happily, "Ooh yeah!"

There was an air of familiarity about the man. He had seen him somewhere before, he just couldn't say where. It was innate sense of recognition. He was sure he knew the old man from somewhere, he just couldn't say when. For some odd reason, the word 'godfather' kept coming to mind. Then it came to him. He matched the description of the old man who was peeping on the woman's bath. Now that Naruto thought of it, the woman's half of the hot spring was on the other side of the fence. This was definitely the guy Shinji was talking about.

Drawing his katana, Naruto stepped towards the man and said, "Okay gramps, beat it!"

"Eh," the old man turned his head in Naruto's direction with a horrified look. When he saw Naruto though, a smile crossed his face accompanied with a relieved sigh, "Oh...you gave me quite a scare kid. You really shouldn't dress like that otherwise people will think you're a bosuzoku."

"Bosuzoku?" Naruto repeated spitefully. The man nodded with faux understanding and patted Naruto on the shoulder, "Yea, you don-"

Naruto punched the man in the gut, expecting him to recoil backwards or at least to lose his balance for a second. To his surprise though, the man was unfazed. In fact, he appeared more angry than surprised. With a macho tone, the man struck a pose – in this case he threw one arm forward and the other back while spreading his legs apart- and scowled, "WHAT IS THIS? I, JIRAIYA THE GREAT GAMA SENNIN, OFFER MY ADVICE ONLY TO BE PUNCHED IN RETURN? SUCH AN INSULT! I WILL PAY IT BACK TEN FOLD!"

Naruto did his best to hold in his amusement. Was he supposed to take the old man seriously if he had to use a macho voice to sound tough? More importantly, how did someone get a title 'Gama Sennin'? What was the title supposed to mean anyway? Perhaps the man was knowledgeable in all things Toad related. Maybe they called him that because he had a lot warts? Now that Naruto thought about it, he did see a really big one on the man's nose.

But what really got Naruto was the stance the old man had just taken. There was no way he would be able to defend himself with a pose like that. Naruto could probably have knocked him down without much effort if he wanted to. But this Jiraiya was too much of a joke for Naruto to want to. It was just plain sad on a level Naruto didn't want to consider.

"NOW LISTEN TO ME! I WILL BE MERCIFUL AND GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO REDEEM YOURSELF! AFTERALL, I SHOULDN'T WASTE MY TALENTS ON A LOWLIFE LIKE YOURSELF! ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS-"

"Naruto, is that you?" interrupted the little toad. The toad apparently made himself comfortable atop Jiraiya's head during the elderly man's display and rant. Jiraiya, on the other hand, clearly didn't enjoy being interrupted, "Gamakichi! If you won't stop interrupting me, I'm sending you back to your father!"

"It would beat looking for hot springs so you can peep on them," Gamakichi retorted.

"Wait a minute, Gamakichi?" Naruto repeated. He had forgotten all about the toad since he let him go in the Land of Waves. It was ironic that their next meeting was in Konoha of all places. But that left a pressing question. Without a moment's hesitation, Naruto asked, "Gamakichi, what are you doing here and with a pervert of all people?"

"Oh this guy? He's my summoner!" Gamakichi explained.

"You said you didn't have a summoner," Naruto answered, repeating the toad's words a few months ago. Gamakichi smirked, "Hey, would you want to admit that your summoner is the biggest pervert in the world?"

"How many times do I have to tell you Gamakichi! I do it for research!" Jiraiya answered defensively. Naruto quickly answered, "Really? It looks like your regular, old a pervert to me."

"HEY! I can assure you that I am not just a regular, old pervert!" Jiraiya corrected.

"Oh yeah, then what are you?" Naruto asked. Jiraiya, with a sparkle in his eye, smirked and definitively shouted, "I'm a A REALLY BIG, SUPER PERVERT!"

"What's that?" a woman's voice gasped from within the hot springs.

"A pervert? EEK SOMEONE'S PEEPING!"Another shrieked. A series of screams and yells broke out from within the confines of the hot springs. Jiraiya, wearing a gleeful face, patted Naruto cheerfully on the back, "And that's my cue, kid!"

"Cue for what?" Naruto asked, just as a mob of women, some wearing nothing more than towels wrapped around their torso while others were still putting on their underwear, stormed out from within. One of them, stopped for just a second and shot Naruto a scared look. It was a momentary exchange of glances, that ended when she screamed, "THERE HE IS! THAT'S THE PERVERT!"

"Why are you looking at me? That old man is the one who..." Naruto trailed off. The very place where Jiraiya stood just moments ago was now empty. Jiraiya had been the smarter one and ran off, leaving Naruto to take the heat. Even Gamakichi was smart enough to know not to linger. Naruto, awe struck at his own carelessness, began thinking up every possible excuse he could use. Some of these excuses, such as 'I was just passing through' or 'An old man without pants just ran by', were completely unbelievable while others, like 'The view today just got a lot better', would only fuel their wrath.

He decided to try his luck at reasoning with them and began his explanation by saying, "Hang on! I wasn't the one who was peeping! There was another guy who was just here. He said he was a Toad Sage or something like that!"

"Yeah right! Why would we listen to you?" One of them scowled.

"Because I'm an innocent twelve year old?" Naruto pleaded hopefully.

"Like hell you are! You're a freaking Dewaya!" Another growled. Panic struck, Naruto reached for Kitsune only to hear, "Look! Now he wants to attack us! What kind of guy hits a girl?"

Naruto pulled his hand away from the katana. This was clearly a lose-lose scenario. There was only one other option open to him at this point. Without so much as a second thought, Naruto spun on his heels and took off as fast as he could. He wasn't entirely sure if he they were giving chase, but he didn't dare look back to find out. He already incurred enough of their wrath today. Why see if they could get any angrier?

After about five minutes of running, he glanced back to see if any of them were following him. Thankfully, none of them gave chase which meant he was got out of trouble for the time being. It was merely a question of how long?

They already knew he was a twelve year old member of the Dewaya Clan. How much longer would it be until they came to Yahiko issuing complaints? Which brought up another question: What was wrong with him that day? He came to Konoha to go into hiding and so far he all he appeared to be doing was drawing unnecessary attention. What was next?

He arrived at the Dewaya office just a few moments later, racing past the receptionist and up the flight of stairs in the back to the four-bed bedroom. He locked himself inside his room, unsure if he was trying to keep himself in or those angry women and shinobi to come out. Maybe going back outside wouldn't be the best course of action. He had already drawn enough attention that day, and didn't feel like seeing who else he could get after him.

...

BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ!

Naruto's fist came down hard on the alarm clock. He hated getting up so early, even though he knew that's what he was obligated to do. Three whole days went by without a single incident since his run in at the back alley and the encounter with 'Ero Gama Sennin'. No wanted posters went up, no jonin or ANBU came to collect him, and no women came in complaining about a twelve year old peeping on the baths. It was as if everything he did went unnoticed. Naruto almost regretted thinking he had to kill his former academy classmates to keep his existence a secret. They either didn't want to tell anyone other than those present or were planning to but were too lazy to do it. In either scenario, it worked to his advantage.

It meant he had more time to think about what he was going to do. If it was the former, then there was no need to find a resolution. However, it the latter was true then there was no saying when they would finally tell their jonin instructor or the Hokage himself. But what was he supposed to do? He didn't have the resources or the time to investigate the matter further. Especially with the Chunin Exams drawing closer.

He ran through his morning routine rather quickly, taking a quick shower and throwing on another of his business suits. He headed down the stairs and ran for the door only to be stopped in his tracks by Yahiko. His hair and suit were in disarray: the tie and shirt undone and his pants hanging loosely. A long dead cigarette hung in his mouth, dangling close to the edge of his lips. With strained effort, Yahiko grunted, "I'm taking you off patrol today Naruto. The first part of the Chunin Exam is today and I want you to help out."

Naruto was too distracted by his Oyabun's appearance to care for his sudden assignment change and promptly asked, "Oyabun, have you slept lately?"

"Huh...wha? No, I had some tea and coffee earlier," Yahiko said discontentedly "I just need another cigarette."

"Oyabun," Naruto began, "I think you need more than just another cigarette."

Yahiko however shrugged him off, "It's nothing. The Chunin Exams are just murder this time of year. Plus we have an impending war on our hands. The paperwork just keeps piling up."

"Maybe you should take a break," Naruto suggested, only to have Yahiko shrug him off again, "Like I told you Naruto, I just need a cigarette. Anyway, go meet with Shinji and Miji. It's a restaurant about two blocks down, you'll see them standing out front."

Naruto expected it to be an out of the way eatery that no one paid a lot of attention to. Instead it was a well-known restaurant, which he knew was usually so flooded with patrons that it was impossible to tell on first glance who was planning on eating and who was just passing by. Two of the Dewaya, neither Shinji or Miji, were stationed at the front in casual clothing, leaning calmly against the front of the building but with their katanas out in display. Naruto approached them quietly, and nodded, "Oyabun said to meet Shinji and Miji."

The first guard pointed inside with his thumb, "They're setting up in the back of the restaurant."

Since it was early in the morning there were only a few customers inside, most of them were having a morning cup of tea before they set out for the day's work. There was a single waiter, who was busy wiping the empty tables with a dirty rag stained a dark red. The waiter looked up from his work only for a second to look at Naruto before glancing at an open door on the far side of the restaurant. Naruto took this cue and walked through the door into a small, narrow room. On the far end was a long table set up with three chairs on the opposite side. Behind it was a large blackboard where Miji was busy scrawling down some numbers:

Amegakure no Sato – 11 teams – 1 / 10

Iwagakure no Sato – 11 teams – 1 / 10

Kirigakure no Sato – 11 teams – 1 / 10

Konohagakure no Sato - 49 teams – 1 / 4

Kumogakure no Sato – 11 teams – 1 / 10

Kusagakure no Sato – 11 teams – 1 / 10

Otogakure no Sato – 5 teams – 1 / 20

Sunagakure no Sato – 22 teams – 1 / 5

Total – 131 teams – Probability of Success per Team – 25

"What is that?" Naruto asked from across the room. Miji yelped and jumped in surprise, "Naruto? Geez, kid. Don't do that. Hey close that door, would you? No one's allowed back here until we're all set."

"Sure," Naruto obliged, closing the door behind him, "So what is that?"

"Well the first part of the Chunin Exam officially starts today," Miji explained, "And there will be a lot of gambling to see whole make it into the next part of the exam. Those numbers on the board represent the total number of teams representing each village and the probability that at least three quarters of the teams from those villages will move on to the next part of the exam."

Just then, Shinji appeared carrying a small metal case secured by a key and combination lock. He set it down on the table, opened it, and started sorting through the its contents while asking, "Has our contact within the proctors stopped by yet? I want those odds double checked to make sure things are fair."

He passed a packet of paper to Miji, set five others on the table, and placed three rubber stamps down. Miji shook hi head, "Not yet. Naruto's finally here, though."

"He is?" Shinji propped his head up and smirked stupidly, "So he is. Come over here Naruto, I'll show you how this kind of thing works."

Naruto came closer to Shinji, watching as the man explained, "Write down their bet and how much they wagered on this piece of paper. Be sure you sign and stamp it so that we know its authentic and not a forgery. We've lost about ten million because of fakes. Once you've got that all done, make a copy of it and hand them the first ticket. That way, we can match it later to make sure the bet was made."

"Is that it?" Naruto asked. Shinji nodded, "That's it. Normally, I could handle this kind of thing by myself but the Chunin Exam tends to bring large crowds. You know, lots of visiting ninja and tourists who think their village is so great that the win is already guaranteed."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Naruto pointed out, unaware of how naïve he sounded. Shinji and Miki exchanged surprised looks and burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Naruto asked.

"You'll see," Miji replied. And Naruto did in fact see why they laughed. Around six o'clock the doors opened and the betting began. First came the early birds who worked the early hours of the morning and thus came early break to get their bets in. Then came the family men, who would make up some excuse to use the bathroom before sneaking into the back to place their bet. After they left, roughly two hours after the doors opened, came the tourists and foreign shinobi who were betting on the genin teams representing their respective village. That was was nearly two hours ago. At twenty minutes to ten o'clock Naruto understood why Miji and Shinji laughed.

"Wager?" Naruto asked the next person in line, an old man with shaking legs who held a handful on 100 ryou bills. He placed the money on the table and asked, "What're the odds?"

Naruto pointed to a blackboard behind him, for what must have been the hundredth time that day and read off it, "Konohagakure is placed at 2 in 10, Amegakure has 1 in 10, Otogakure is at 1 in 20, Kirigakure is in at 1 in 10, Sunagakure is placed at 1 in 4, Iwagakure is in at 1 in 10, Kumogakure is at 1 in 10, and Kusagakure is in at 1 in 10. But you only win if at least three quarters of them move on to the next part of the exam."

"Oh my...I'll put 400 on Konoha and 100 on Oto," he said. Naruto nodded, and took a slip of paper out of a cardboard box. He jotted down some quick numbers – '400-Konoha & 100-Oto'. He looked it over again before writing his signature on it and using a rubber stamp to approve it. He handed the slip to the old man and dully said, "Okay then. Thank you very much, best of luck to you."

"Oh good then," the old man smiled feebily. He disappeared into the front of the restaurant so that the next person in line could place their bet.

"Next," Naruto called to the next person in line, who came forth on command, "Wager?"

"Ten thousand, all on Otogakure," the man hissed, his sake-heavy breath filling the air. Naruto perked his head up when he caught a whiff of the man's breath. He was pale-skinned, almost sickly, with yellow eyes and an almost skeletal build. He reminded Naruto of Orochimaru only this man didn't look as twisted or insane. His eyes were more reminiscent of calm collection than soul-piercing dread. Regardless of his appearance, he must have been drunk in order to place such a heavy bet. Otogakure had only a handful of participating genin, enough so that if at least one person got knocked out it would be considered a loss. Only a drunken idiot would have bet that much money on a village with very low odds.

"I think you should think that bet over sir," Naruto said. If the man lost ten thousand ryou, and found out Naruto did nothing to stop his drunken stupor, there was a good chance he would report this location as a Dewaya betting place. The last thing he needed at this point was to draw more attention to his Oyabun, the Dewaya clan and, most important of all, himself. Tension were getting worse between the Kuroihi and their unnamed opponent, so added pressure from the village shinobi was something everyone wanted to avoid. Especially during the Chunin Exam of all things. The status quo had to be maintained.

The man chuckled in response, "I think I'm making a very _nice_ investment. Hmm hmm."

Naruto popped an eyebrow in surprise. The man was drunk, that was fact, but he was clearly intent on making his bet even though the odds were against him. Either way, that money would have made a very nice addition to the Dewaya's funds. Naruto would have to be insane in order to turn an opportunity this big down.

Jotting down the numbers quickly and approving it, Naruto said, "Okay then. Remember sir, it only counts as a win if three quarters of the teams move on."

"Oh don't worry about me. You be sure to have that money ready," the man smiled deviously. He disappeared into the crowd of betters, leaving quite the impression behind. He was either so drunk that he had no idea what he had done or so insane that he didn't care. Whatever the case, Naruto had the greatest difficulty getting over his resemblance to Orochimaru, even if it was only a small similarity. Perhaps the two were cousins, or maybe even siblings. Who was to say otherwise?

If that were the case, there must have been a crazy gene in their family then. Orochimaru was a child molester and that guy was a gambling alcoholic. Not even Naruto's imagination could surmise what kind of madmen the rest of the family must have been.

But wait! If this man was somehow connected to Orochimaru, did that mean that he was from Otogakure? It would explain why he was so confident in wagering for them, and how he came across the money. But to what effect?

"I'll place 500 ryou on Konoha!" the next man in line said. Naruto came out of his thoughts and nodded, writing down the bet before he handed the slip of paper to the man and called the next man up.

"Hey," Shinji said, appearing at his side, "Go take a break. You've been working all morning."

"Okay, thanks," Naruto replied. He stood up, bowed, and went out a door into a a dirty back alley. Miji was the only one there, smoking a cigarette in one hand and drinking a bottle of sake out of the other. When he saw Naruto, his face immediately lit up and he asked, "How's the business going, kid?"

"I don't know how you guys do it," Naruto moaned, "This is murder compared to the patrols."

"Trust me, it's not always like that," Miji answered assuredly, "There's usually less but the Chunin Exam really draws in the crowds. Everyone is so confident in the ability of their village's shinobi that there's always some kind of gambling going on. Of course, most of the Ninkyo Dantai try to get in on it. We usually act as mediators in the betting, making sure no one skimps out of their obligations. The profit makes it all worth it, too."

"Profit?" Naruto asked. Miji's smile only grew wider and he excitedly began, "Oh sure! You saw that crowd earlier? I figure everyone in the Dewaya will pocket at least 100,000 ryou after the first exam is over. Think about it kid! That's a whole lot of sake! I might even finally get my hands on some of that fine imported sake from the Land of Rice! You know they're supposed to make the best Rice Wine in the world! It's better than this crap we get from Wave Country."

Naruto had already tuned Miji out. He was too busy considering what he would do if Miji was right and the day's gambling got him 100,000 ryou. That was a whole lot of ramen! Heck, he could probably buy Ichiraku with that kind of money. He, Uzumaki Naruto, would own Ichiraku Ramen! The entire restaurant completely to himself with all the ramen he could ever eat! It was a dream come true.

Naruto's revery was cut short, however, by the sudden and unwelcome appearance of a smoke bomb. As the smoke cleared, the figure of a chunin came into view. Naruto jumped back in surprise, drawing Kitsune from its scabbard and holding it in a defensive stance.

"Whoa...easy kid...Hey Miji, whose the new guy?" the chunin asked.

"Some kid that Boss Hashi told Boss Yahiko to babysit," Miji answered. Naruto shot him a glare with the word babysit. It wasn't as if he was a burden on Oyabun. If anything, he was carrying more weight than Miji was. Miji, however, didn't pay Naruto any mind and went on, "He's helping out with the gambling today."

"Is that a fact?" The chunin replied with a tone of interest before shaking his head, "Anyway, I've come to let you know that the first test of the exam begins in ten minutes. The test will take about an hour. After that, I'll come back here with the results."

"Alright, thanks for the heads up," Miji answered. The chunin then added, "By the way, just so you know, Ibiki is proctoring the first exam this year."

"Ibiki? Are you kidding? That completely changes the odds and the returns!" Miji said, "Do you have any idea how much paperwork that will take!"

"You think you're upset? Imagine how the genin will feel!" The chunin added. A look of pity crossed Miji's face accompanied with a simple, "Those poor kids won't know what hit them."

"Hang on, whose this Ibiki guy?" Naruto asked, resheathing his katana. The chunin gave him a surprised look and then broke into a fit of laughter, "You don't know who Ibiki is? He's one of the deadliest shinobi in the world."

"Deadly?" Naruto asked. Miji shook the Chunin off, "He means Ibiki is one of the most dangerous shinobi in the world. He isn't deadly in the sense that he'll kill you, he's deadly in the sense that he'll put you in a position to _be _killed."

"I don't get it," Naruto answered. What was that analogy supposed to mean anyway?

"Ibiki is kind of person who likes to get inside your head," the Chunin answered, tapping his temples intuitively, "He'll come up with a scenario where a difficult choice has to be made and he'll take every step to make sure you get in that position. One of his personal favorites is having a person choose between accomplishing their mission or saving their teammates."

"Take his last mission for example," the chunin added, "He didn't capute the guy by luring him into a trap. He captured him by making the guy think his only options were escape and let his family suffer for his crimes, or surrender and his family would be let go. What the guy never realized was his family was never in any danger."

Naruto still didn't get it, so instead he asked, " So do any of the genin even stand a chance?"

"Not likely," the chunin said, "The pass rate is well below ten percent whenever he proctors. It's even worse for those eight rookie genin who are participating. For them, the pass rate is probably well below one percent."

"Who are the rookie genin?" Naruto asked again. The chunin shrugged and put his hands up, "Can't really say. I only know two of them: Uchiha Sasuke and Nara Shikamaru. For those two, the odds could be about five, maybe six percent. I know they're supposed to be geniuses, but genius only goes so far. They don't even have a year's worth of experience in the field."

The chunin trailed off in his ramblings. _Sasuke,_ Naruto thought bitterly, _He was only a genin for a few months and already he was advancing through the ninja ranks._ Naruto didn't like it. He prayed that something would happen, ANYTHING, to keep Sasuke from moving onto the next part of the exam. Getting one question wrong would suffice, although Naruto wouldn't say no to Sasuke getting the entire thing wrong.

"Im going in to rework the odds," Miji said to the chunin, "Come back in an hour with the results so we can figure out the earnings."

"Right, have my cut ready by then," the chunin said before disappearing. Miji took a final drag on his cigarette, guzzled down his sake, and walked back into the restaurant. The alley was quiet now, save for the garbage that ruffled around in the breeze. Naruto stretched his arms out into the air and cracked a yawn. He sat down on the ground and closed his eyes. A good moment's rest was just what the doctor ordered at the moment.

And it was just a moment. Only seconds after Naruto closed his eyes, Miji came out the back door and shouted, "Naruto! We got trouble!"

"Alright," Naruto shot up and ran inside after Miji, "What happened?"

"We tried to adjust the odds," Miji explained, "But some people got upset and then a fight broke out."

Of course the word 'fight' was an understatement. The whole restaurant was in uproar over the change in the odds. Many were fighting amongst themselves: pushing, punching, shoving, kicking, biting, spitting and all things in between broke out. The foreign shinobi who happened to be present apparently opted to slip out, since none of them were in sight. Shinji and the two guards from the front of the restaurant were doing everything in their power to calm the mob down, but the numbers were not in their favor. This mob was furious and Naruto couldn't blame them. The blackboard in the back , which used to hold reasonable odds, now read:

Amegakure no Sato – 11 teams – 1 / 100

Iwagakure no Sato – 11 teams – 1 / 100

Kirigakure no Sato – 11 teams – 1 / 100

Konohagakure no Sato - 49 teams – 1 / 40

Kumogakure no Sato – 11 teams – 1 / 100

Kusagakure no Sato – 11 teams – 1 / 100

Otogakure no Sato – 5 teams – 1 / 200

Sunagakure no Sato – 22 teams – 1 / 50

Total – 131 teams - Probability of Success per Team – 0.10

"What the hell gives?" one of the patrons shouted angrily, wrapping his hands around Shinji's neck and pinning Shinji to the wall behind him, "Are you trying to pull something?"

"HEY BRAT!" a voice growled. A hand reached out and wrapped itself around the collar of his clothes, lifting Naruto off the ground. It spun him around, turning him to face his attacker which turned out to be a stout, balding man. As he spoke, Naruto could smell the alcohol on his breath, "You Kuroihi got a lot of nerve! Why I 'ought to just rip your head off!"

"Put me down," Naruto growled. The man snickered, "Or what? I ain't afraid of some brat just because he plays bosuzoku!"

THWACK!

The whole room went quiet when the man hit the ground. Naruto's fist came down as hard as it could on the man's face, creating a loud crunching noise when it made contact. He would have preferred to stab the man in the chest, but knew it was a fool's option. To kill the man would bring a lot of unnecessary attention, but doing nothing would encourage him to hurt Naruto. This was the safest of two routes.

The man struggled to catch his breath, crawling on all fours towards the wall and trying to pull himself up, "You...you brat!"

Naruto sensed their eyes on him, the horrific ideas that must be racing through their minds. He should haev grown used to that by now, but the prospect of being the center of unwanted attention always unnerved him. Still, at least he got their attention. Turning to face the mob, he quietly said, "Listen up! If you people want your money back, come up to the table with your ticket and we'll be happy to oblige you. But before you do anything hasty, let me say one thing: Those odds mean a bigger pay out if you win."

"Which doesn't even exist with those odds!" someone shouted.

"Like I said, we'll be happy to give you your money back," Naruto answered calmly, "But consider the pay out. Can you really say no to walking home with ten thousand ryou?"

His statement was met with silence. Then by the silent murmurs of the patrons, as they weighed their chances in deciding whether this was good deal or a giant cheat. Naruto watched them as they discussed amongst themselves. Was it a good idea? Was it rigged? Were they being cheated out of their money? Most of them must have felt so because they started moving towards the table with their tickets. Slowly, one by one, they recalled their money.

"That was quick thinking Naruto," Shinji whispered, appearing at the blonde's side, "But it looks like all you did was encourage them to get their money back."

"So what do we do?" Naruto asked, "They can't all get their money back."

"IT's nothing against you kid," Shinji offered, "These people just aren't the kind to warm up to a kid. As far as they're concerned you have no idea what you're talking about. They don't have any faith in you."

"So how do I win their trust?" Naruto asked. Shinji reached into Naruto' back pocket and retrieved his toad wallet: 'Gama-chan', "Bad place to keep a wallet, kid."

He propped the wallet open and retrieved a large sum of bills, "Let's see...ten...twenty...Four thousand ryou. Bet it all on Otogakure."

"Are you crazy?" Naruto asked, "Those guys have the smallest chance of winning."

"Lead by example, kid," Shinji pointed out, smacking him across the back of the head, "If you want them to trust us, place a bet on the guys with the least chance of winning."

"But that's all the money I've sav-"

"Naruto. Why do want these people to put faith in a system that you don't even have faith in?" Shinji stated more than asked, "If you're not willing to take a risk, why should they?"

Shinji had a point. Naruto would have to take a great leap of faith here if he was going to prove to these people that this was a system they could trust. But, then again, that was all of Naruto's money that was being bet. Four thousand ryou he had saved up from the all the work Yahiko had him doing. But which was the greater of two evils? Losing all of is money or incurring his Oyabun's wrath for losing a whole day's gambling. This was an important time of year for the clan.

No. This was an important time of year for the Syndicate. If the Kuroihi failed to make end's meet then their enemies would pick up the extra profit and that would incite a war. Taking his money out of Shinji's hands, he cut to thr front of the line and told Miji, "Put four thousand on Otogakure."

"Are you crazy kid? You could lose all that money!" someone in the line pointed out. Naruto looked back at them and said, "If you guys are going to lose money, I might as well, right?"

He turned back to face Miji who gave him a quizzical look at first, but filled out the paperwork anyway, "You're a weird kid, you know that?"

"I've been called worse," Naruto responded, remembering his life before the Synidcate. As Miji gave him his ticket, he asked, "What time is it?"

"Ten o'clock, the first test has already begun," Miji pointed out. Naruto sighed. This was it. The first test was already on. What happened next was all in the hands of fate.

Much to his surprise, Shinji was right. After Naruto placed his bet, the others stopped withdrawing their money. Some of the people who already withdrew their money, replaced their bets. The ones who didn't cleared out.

Naruto went into the back of the room, sitting quietly behind the table with Shinji and Miji. The only sound came from the occasional whisper and yawn. About fifteen minutes into the exam the patrons started chatting idly amongst themselves, mostly about who would move on and who wouldn't. From what Naruto could he hear, it seemed the majority concession was that Otogakure stood no chance. They were a no where, no history village that popped out of nowhere. A majority of them weren't even sure where the village was located, let alone if it actually existed.

After a drawn out waiting process, the clock finally struck eleven. All eyes were on Miji, Shinji and Naruto. Naruto glanced over at Shinji and asked, "Where is that chunin with the results?"

No sooner had he said that, but the chunin from earlier appeared at the door holding a manila envelope. The crowd parted to give him room to walk to the table, as if he were a reknown ruler or a religious figure. He gave the envelope to Shinji and walked out the door. Everyone turned their attention back on Shinji, expectantly waiting the results to come. Shinji ripped the envelope open and read through the papers, his face growing more and more discontent as his eyes moved to the bottom of the page.

"Okay," he said to himself. He rose from his chair and erased the blackboard before writing down the new numbers -

Amegakure no Sato – 5/11 teams – 1 / 100 – Fail – Pass Rate - 45

Iwagakure no Sato – 5/11 teams – 1 / 100 – Fail – Pass Rate - 45

Kirigakure no Sato – 2/11 teams – 1 / 100 – Fail Pass Rate - 18

Konohagakure no Sato - 37/49 teams – 1 / 40 – Pass – Pass Rate - 75

Kumogakure no Sato – 3/11 teams – 1 / 100 – Fail – Pass Rate - 27

Kusagakure no Sato – 6/11 teams – 1 / 100 – Fail – Pass Rate - 54

Otogakure no Sato – 4/5 teams – 1 / 200 – Pass – Pass Rate - 80

Sunagakure no Sato – 18/22 teams – 1 / 50 -Pass – Pass Rate – 81

Total – 80/131 teams – Pass Rate – 61

Silence filled the room at the outcome. Only three villages had a high enough pass rate to count as a win, and even then one of them was the village everyone thought didn't stand a chance. The people who lost money left the room bitterly while those who won came forward to claim their winnings. Shinji cast the papers down on the table for all to see, but it was Naruto who grabbed them first.

He scanned down the list of teams. He didn't care for the numbers, he just wanted to see the names. Specifically the names of the Passing Konoha genin. As he scanned down the list, he saw the names of genin of Konoha's more prestigious clans from Aburame to Yamanaka. He didn't find what he was looking for on the first page so he skipped over to the next page. AS he read down the long list of lines, he prayed he didn't find what he was looking for. Much to his dismay, he found what he was looking for about half way down the page:

Team 7 – Haruno Sakura, Hyuga Hinata, Uchiha Sasuke

Naruto silently seethed with anger, rereading the list again to make sure he wasn't seeing things. He wasn't. Uchiha Sasuke had passed the first test.

...

**Author's Notes: **I hope you all have enjoyed the story so far. Like I said, my schedule has been very busy and I have had very little time to work on it so I apologize. The next update will come in 6 weeks on November 21st! If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!

**A Quick Announcement: **The polls will close on **November 1st, 2008**. On that day, I will announce the winner on my profile. Remember to vote if you want a particular pairing. If you voiced an opinion, but didn't vote, please vote so that I don't double count. Finally, if the pairing that wins is the one you didn't want and you didn't vote: You don't get to complain. If you did vote, and the pairing you wanted didn't win: Then I apologize, and I hope the result will not deter you from further reading. Now on to the rankings:

1st – Tayuya

2nd – Hinata and an Original Character

3rd – Tenten

4th – Anko

5th – Ino, Temari, Author's Choice

6th – Sakura

7th – Yuki

Remember to vote folks! If you don't vote, you don't get to complain!


	23. Naruto's First Hit

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced by Viz Media. The Art of War is the published text of Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicates, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Notes: **I feel so tired. Thank to all you guys who left reviews, I appreciate it. I think there's a conspiracy in my school because all the projects, exams, homework and readings are always on the same week. Enough about that though. Because of how little time I had, I had to work on this story as quickly as I could so forgive me if there are any spelling errors or grammatical mistakes. I would also like to thank everyone who voted both in my poll and I must say I loved all your arguments. For those of you who haven't checked yet, Hinata won the poll and will be the character that Naruto is paired with. To those of you hoping for a different pairing, I'm sorry the pairing you wanted lost.

**To Those With Concerns About the Pairing: **First and foremost, I want to assure everyone who reads this story that there is no need to worry. I always intended to pair Naruto with a female character, but that doesn't mean the pairing will become the focus of this fanfiction. The focus of this fic is to explore Naruto's life as a yakuza in the underworld. The addition of a romantic interest will not detract from this focus, nor will it become the center of the universe in the fiction. Further, I want to assure you that Naruto and Hinata will not fall into the love at first sight circle. Naruto and Hinata have had no interaction up to this point and the two of them will not immediately engage in frequent make out sessions. They are still twelve years old and neither have hit puberty. Hinata, in particular, is a fairly withdrawn character. Therein, they may not go farther than the holding hands stage. I also want to add that I modeled their relationship after the relationship of Michael Corleone and Kay Adams from The Godfather. Yes, their romance was part of the story but it did not dominate it. The same is true for Oyabun. Naruto and Hinata will eventually have a romantic relationship, but it will not be the center of the story.

Now I would like to move on to the reviews:

**Draco Silverclaw: **I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend. It scares me, though, when a person's guess comes close to what will actually happen because I try to make the next chapter as least obvious as possible.

**Ra-dragonis: **Well, I'm glad you voted and thanks for the concern about the poll. Don't worry about leaving a proper review, as long as readers continue to enjoy reading, I will continue to write. Sadly, my reasons for the poll stem from my undying fear of fanboys/girls. A past story of mine killed off Sakura and a random sakura fangirl sent me harassing PMs for it which is why I changed my email. Essentially, the poll is more an insurance policy. This does not mean the only purpose was to ward off fan boys and girls. I always intended to write a pairing for Naruto, I just didn't want to be harassed for it.

**Apathetica**: I'm sorry I put your choice up so late, but please forgive me if I miswrote. As I said before, the romance will not detract from the focus on crime or Naruto's development.

**T3Ko: **That is a good point, but when has erosennin ever been anything but odd? Aside from his fight with Pein, that is. Whenever he appears, its eyeing up the closest member of the opposite sex.

**Anon: **Heh, you caught me. I didn't think anyone noticed but you've got a good eye. Actually that was based off my first drinking experience which involved hard liquor and vodka. I won't say what happened, but I will say I learned a valuable lesson. As per your suggestion, sake is a sacred part of the Yakuza tradition. Very much like how Catholics drink wine at Church to represent the blood of Christ, Yakuza use sake to represent the blood of brothers. In the past, they actually used each others blood but the rise of STD's and other health risks made sake a preferable choice. The only time sake was replaced is in lower level initiations – as in Fourth or Fifth level clans. I will keep that in mind though because this won't be the last time Naruto will get hung over. Speaking of which, the only reason I gave him a hung over was because it made a convenient plot device for when he hit Konohamaru and Ebisu! I'm sorry for rambling. Anyway, thanks for the advice!

**Reluctant Wisdom: **O.O – You actually registered just to review? Wow! That is dedication! Thank you! I hope you don't let that account go to waste, though. I look forward to seeing any stories you publish!

**ArmorOfGeddon: **Hey, nice to hear from you again. You made a lot of good points and, ultimately, Hinata won. Your point about Sakura may very well become important later on. Specifically the 'bailing her out' part.

**DemonEyesBob: **In order from the first review- 1- They don't? 2-Yeah, I know. 3-I'm sorry. I would use the reply system but this feels a little more personalized. I hope you like the next chapter! As for the last chapter, I didn't mean Tayuya was my first choice, I meant she was the leader in the poll.

**Mahina:** Wow...just...wow...I don't even know how to reply. I'm...I'm speechless. I didn't even think about Hinata in that light until you brought it up. I only made here character so apparent because I reasoned she would have the most interesting reaction to Naruto. Hinata always viewed Naruto as her role model so writing her reaction to his humanization created tension. That is, I wanted to describe her reaction to seeing the boy she admired becoming the opposite of what made her admire him. And as I said before, I have no intention of just jumping into the romance because those kind of relationships don't happen over night. They grow. Finally, thank you for those many kind words towards the end. I can't really say how many reviews this story deserves because I have my biases as an author. However, regardless of reviews, I will continue to write because I'm too invested in the story. That said, I hope you continue to read and enjoy Oyabun.

**PeterKim: **In order – 1- That reason will partly be explained in this chapter, 2- Jiraiya is Jiraiya. He abandoned his godson for 12 years and didn't recognize him when he first met. I'm sure he'll do more than teach Naruto a cool jutsu. 3 – Hinata and Sakura are both big girls now. Let them be with whoever they want to be. Also, you really hate Sasuke don't you? 4 – I might already have. 5 – Oh...thank you very much. I hope you enjoy it!

**brolly501:** Thank you very much!

**Psychocitten: **I'm glad you liked it, I hope you continue to read and enjoy.

That's about it. Now I present the continuation of Oyabun:

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 23: Naruto's First Hit**

"Can you believe it Sasuke? We actually passed!" Sakura squealed with childish delight. Sasuke did not return the cheer as was his custom to celebrate silently. However, there was an accomplished certainty on his face, but it was far from a smile. Hinata watched with interest Sakura cling to Sasuke, much to his chagrin. She was happy that her team passed the first test. They were planning on stopping by a local restaurant that had good food to celebrate. All she didn't look the part, she was just as happy as Sakura if not more so. Sadly, her timidity got the better of her so she resigned herself to the usual silent smile she was accustomed to.

"Well, well," Kakashi's disembodied voice proclaimed, "I heard you three passed the first test. Congratulations."

A smokescreen preceded Kakashi's appearance. He stood casually, left hand in one pocket and the right holding his favorite orange book. Although his mask and his head band hid most of his face, it was obvious that he was proud of his students. He said, "To celebrate, why don't I treat you guys to some food?"

"Alright! Lunch is on Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura punched her fist into the air.

...

"I can't believe we lost so much ryou," Miji pointed out despairingly. He wiped an alcohol soaked cloth against the dusty chalk board, "Five million gone in one day and all because the Oto genin got lucky. And two million of that went straight to the Oto jonin."

"Am I the only one who thinks there's something weird about that?" Naruto asked quietly while he folded the chairs in on themselves and dragged them off to the side. The book work had been done and once the clan's tribute was set aside, each of them was able to pocket sixty thousand ryou. Miji, who was the most aggravated because his dream sake was no longer, scoffed bitterly, "This pretty common. One shinobi is usually bound to walk off with a couple of million ryou every once in a while. The only difference is, he walked off with more than usual. You can check the books yourself."

"Books?"

"Yeah, Shinji keeps a record of all the finances of the clan. Who earned what, what they bought, how much the clan made, where our spendings go and what happens to profit," Miji explained, "A whole lot of paperwork and documents. He has an office across the street from the Dewaya Office where he has a bunch of accountants number crunching."

"Wow," Naruto glancing over at Shinji who was across the room writing some numbers furiously on a clipboard, "So is Shinji one of the higher ranks?"

"He's the de facto saiko-komon," Miji said to no one in particular, "The temporary senior-advisor for the clan. The real saiko-komon went off with the rest of the guys when Boss Hashi ordered Oyabun to send half of his men to the Land of Waves. Since we were short handed, Yahiko temporarily promoted some of the older guys to fill the positions."

"Are you two done talking? I want to be out of here today, you know?" Shinji pointed out bitterly, "I still have a lot of paperwork to do when I get back."

"Right, right," Miji scoffed, "You know, you were cooler before. It isn't like you'll still hold that position when Boss Keitaro sets the Land of Waves straight."

"We'll see," Shinji replied, "If I do this job better, I might just keep the position. Now, if you're not doing anything better, sweep up."

"You heard him kid," Miji smiled, patting Naruto on the back and pushing a broom into his hands, "Sweep up!"

"What?" Naruto pushed the broom back into Miji's hands, "He was talking to you! You do it!"

"And I'm your sempai, and I'm telling you to do it!" Miji shot back, tapping Naruto on the head with the handle, "Sweep!"

"Can he do that?" Naruto turned to Shinji hopefully. Shinji smiled cunningly, "Do you remember the first part of the seven virtues that Oyabun listed during the initiation ceremony?"

Naruto racked his brain trying to remember, bringing himself to the day he returned to Konoha. But it was so long ago, and he passed out almost shortly after. He remembered Yahiko mentioned something about clans of ronin and rorouni, but everything after that was fuzzy until Konohamaru and his jounin instructor.

"Rectitude," Shinji answered after Naruto proved he was unable to remember, "As in being a good, little boy. Now be a good, little boy and do what your sempai is asking you for."

"What my sempai asks for?" Naruto thought. Did he mean Miji? If that was the case, then he certainly was asking for something and Naruto felt more than happy to oblige. Raising the broom over his head, Naruto batted the brush over the back of Miji's skull and said, "Okay."

"GRAH!" Miji howled, wrapping his hands firmly around the back of his head, "That was not what I asked for."

"Not in words, no," Naruto answered, "But you did ask for it."

"He drives a good argument," Shinji commented. Miji, still scowling bitterly, argued, "He knows what I meant!"

"Never make that assumption, Miji," Shinji responded, "That's why Oyabun hasn't promoted you or let you start your own family. You always were quick to let your guard down. Naruto, go sweep up."

"What happened to Miji?" Naruto protested.

"You whacked him over the back of them head with a broom. As funny as it was, and as valid as your argument is, it was far from called for. Now sweep up," Shinji ordered. Naruto complied, although somewhat dubiously and certainly with spite as he watched Miji waltz over to Shinji. His actions may not have been called for, that much was true, but that didn't make it any less funny or Miji any less deserving. Who was Miji to try and push his duties on himself?

Naruto didn't even know Miji that well beyond his frequent consumption of alcohol and his love of peeping on the baths. On several occasions, Naruto caught the guy peering into the woman's dressing room or the hot springs through a hole in the wall. Most of those times, Miji was drunk from too much sake. The following day, Miji was as good as new. Not even a hangover. This led him to conclude that Miji had an iron gut to drink so much and still feel nothing.

A few minutes of sweeping was all it took to clean the floor. Admiring his work, Naruto replaced the broom in the cleaning closet and informed Shinji, "Okay, it's clean."

"Alright," Shinji answered, "Go finish up the rest of your patrol shift."

"Sure," Naruto nodded before exiting into the front of the restaurant. As he went out he heard Kakashi's calm voice say, "You know Sasuke, you've been quiet this whole time."

As if touched by fire, Naruto immediately ducked back behind the door. What was he going to do? Team 7 was there, probably planning on telling Kakashi everything! He had to act quick to stop them! But how? He couldn't fight three genin and the jounin at the same time. It was suicide. But doing nothing would be suicide in the long run because the shinobi would just go looking for him.

"I was just thinking," Sasuke answered.

"About what?" Kakashi asked.

"..."

"What's wrong Sasuke?" Sakura's voice chimed in.

"This test knocked almost half of the teams out of the exam," Sasuke pointed out, "And it was only the first."

"Yeah, so?" Sakura asked. Sasuke continued, "Well the exams will only get harder from this point out. If the first one almost kicked half of us out, imagine what's next. They can't all be written exams, either. It could be anything between armed combat to survival and all the way to the same exam Zabuza took."

Silence fell on the team, each of the young genin starring down at their plates of food while Kakashi observed each of them with silent bemusement. _What exam are they talking about?_ Naruto asked,_ Zabuza's dead! How could he have taken this exam._

Kakashi broke the silence of the group by calmly saying, "Now, now. There's no need to worry! They aren't going to force you to kill each other in a death match."

Deathmatch? What deathmatch? Did the Chunin Exams have an test were all the genin were required to kill each other? No, it would be too cruel, even for Konoha. Then again, that was the danger that came from a world full of shinobi – they were a people who lived and thrived in a world full of deceit. Considering exclusively the fact that he was a shinobi, there was no way to tell if Kakashi was being honest or if he was lying to save face.

"Maybe that idiot had the right idea..." Sasuke trailed off.

"Hmm?"

"Naruto..." Sasuke muttered quietly. The sound of glass shattering silenced the entire restaurant. All heads turned to Kakashi, who was holding the shattered remains of a glass cup in his hand. Naruto's eyes widened when he saw how tense Kakashi's hand had become. It shook violently, as the shattered remains cut into his gloved hand to draw blood.

"Sensei?" Sakura asked, eyeing his bleeding hand.

"That was...his choice," Kakashi shaking voice answered bitterly but calmly, "And he paid the price for it. It may have been the easy choice, but it wasn't the _right_ choice. I thought I had taught you three that. The easiest option always leads to disaster."

Kakashi's words were met with silence. Naruto was quiet as well, but only because he was trying to bite his tongue. He was really boiling with anger, trying to fight the desire to attack Kakashi. Joining the Kuroihi wasn't even his choice. He was sucked into it for his own protection, from other Ninkyo Dantai and shinobi like Kakashi. Still, Naruto couldn't help but wonder what the root for his reaction was. Why did mentioning his name make Kakashi so tense? What did he know? What was he hiding? No...It couldn't be. Kakashie didn't know Naruto was alive...did he?

"We shouldn't dwell on this subject too much," Kakashi added, his voice still shaky but now cheerful, "Let's just...celebrate your success in the first test."

At that moment, two hands wrapped themselves around Naruto and reeled him into the back room. Miji's hushed voice growled, "Are you stupid? Those were four Konoha nin out there! Did you forget you're in hiding."

"I didn't!" Naruto spat out, turning to face Miji, "I was trying to listen to what they were saying. Besides I'm wearing my goggles! They wouldn't recognize me!"

"That's a not chance you can take," Miji said, "Especially with that Hyuga girl there."

"The Hyuga girl...you mean Hinata?" Naruto asked. Miji shrugged, "I don't know her name. All I know is that their kekkei genkai, their _byakugan_, makes it near impossible for us to operate in secrecy."

"Byakugan?" Naruto asked, "What's the byakugan?"

"It's a blood line trait that gives them near perfect 360 degrees of vision. That vision allows them to see through virtually any surface: wood, stone, fabric, and even human skin. Trust me, those goggles aren't going to do you any good if she activates it."

"They can see through anything?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah. It's not hard for them to 'accidentally' activate their byakugan and spot all of our business locations. Thankfully, it looks like they came in after the bets so they didn't notice anything. But it'd be too risk for you to dwell here, let alone leave out the front. Go out the back door, and get going," Miji instructed.

Broodingly, Naruto left the restaurant through the back door just as Miji said, "Shinji! We've got a Hyuga out front."

To think Hinata, of all people had such a powerful ability. Naruto could only imagine why she didn't fawn over Sasuke as much as the other girls. She didn't have too. All she had to do was turn on her byakugan and she would get a good view of his 'equipment'. Wait, what was he thinking? She probably already used it on all the boys in class already. Again, his mind stopped to ask what he was thinking. All it took was an all-seeing ability to make him think of perversion. There really must have been something wrong with him.

Outside, the sun gleamed into his eyes causing him to throw up his hands over his face. While his vision adjusted to the bright lighting, he took off on a slow pace towards the bath house. He had no intention of being anywhere near the hot springs though. Yes, the incident with Jiraiya and the women was some time ago, but it was still too recent to risk going near the bath house.

Besides which, he would need to formulate a plan to deal with Team 7. Every moment that they were still alive was another moment that he was put at risk. The fact that he had avoided all the consequences for the trouble he had gotten into up until this point was what bothered him. It was as if someone, or something, was wiping his slate clean. But no one was taking care of these problems for him as far as he knew. Yahiko was pretty much in the dark and Hashi-sensei was too far away and too busy with his own problems to know.

Then again, if the chunin from earlier was evidence of anything, then it proved that the Kuroihi had contacts within Konoha's ranks. Maybe Yahiko had someone making records of their activity disappear. Maybe he had someone who was secretly tailing Naruto. This thought sent chills down Naruto's spine. Was someone spying on him now? Maybe he should look around, just to be safe.

No, that would only alert the person who was spying on him, assuming there was one. There wasn't any real need to anyway. If there was one, surely he would have felt sensed someone following him if there really was one. Still, his ninja skills had dulled considerably lately. He would need to take up training for that again. Regardless, even Yahiko himself said that the Dewaya Clan was short handed because of the Land of Waves. For Yahiko to commit one person exclusively to spying on him would be a waste of resources on Yahiko's part. Yahiko had a clan to manage, and with only so many hands available, he couldn't afford to waste anything on Naruto.

At which point, Naruto shook his head. He was being far too analytical over something completely ridiculous. Laughing to himself confoundedly, he went about the rest of his patrol without another thought about spies.

At ten minutes until three Naruto went back to the office. Another patrol came and went without incident, which was a good thing, even if it was boring. He calmly drifted his way around the crowded streets, busy with villagers who were rushing to finish the day's business. He entered through the guarded front door into the waiting room where the receptionist was busy filling out more paperwork. Several people were sitting in the chairs, hanging their heads gloomily in defeat.

Naruto shrugged and made his way past them into the next room. No doubt they were planning on speaking with Yahiko about some personal matter. Speaking of whom, Naruto heard Yahiko's troubled voice as he passed by the door into his office. With visible discontent, Yahiko murmured, "You have got to be kidding me."

"Sorry," said a calmingly familiar voice from within, "But ever since the attack on the _Council Meeting_ a month ago, it has been difficult to tell where everyone's loyalties lie. Even now-"

"What are you doing, Naruto?" someone asked, causing Naruto to jump in surprise. Spinning on his heels, he spat out, "Nothing!"

Naruto fell silent as soon as his eyes fell on her. She appeared slightly different compared to the last time he had seen her, which was roughly a month ago if he recalled correctly. She was usually out late at night partying or doing whatever it is women her age did. In fact, she appeared to have gained a little weight around the mid-section. Specifically, there seemed to a bulge in her stomach which was odd since normally when someone gained weight it distributed itself all over their body. In Hana's case, it must have all gone to her stomach.

"It looked like you were spying on Haku and Hiko," she pointed out rather dubiously with a sigh. Naruto, shook his head, "Me? Never...wait, Haku?"

"Yeah," Hana went on to explain, "He showed up out of nowhere and said he had important business to discuss with Hiko. They've been in his office all day talking about 'business'."

"Ah," Naruto nodded understandingly. It explained who the familiar voice was. It was Haku. But Naruto couldn't shake the need to ask why he was here of all places, and for what purpose. Hashi-sensei said that Haku was working to tie up loose ends. Was this by any chance related to why Haku was here? Was there a threat to the Kuroihi in Konoha.

"Wait a minute! Did you just call Oyabun...I mean, did you call Yahiko...Hiko?" Naruto fumbled, when the rest of Hana's sentence finally registered in his mind.

"Yeah, why?" Hana asked, "What's so funny?"

Naruto, who had tried his best to contain his laughter by covering his mouth, failed to hide his amusement and broke out into a fit of chuckles, "Hiko? Boss Hiko! That's funnier than Kei!"

A domineering grin grew on Hana's face, "What's so funny Naru?"

"Hey! That's not fair! Naru's a girl's name!" Naruto declared in protest. Hana joked, "You could have fooled me with how long your hair is, Naru!"

"You take that back!" Naruto demanded angrily. Hana smirked, "Or what? You can't touch me because I'm the daughter of the Sakurazaki Clan's chairman! You don't want to get dad angry, do you Naru?"

Donning an innocent smile, Hana began, "Oh daddy! Naru was so mean! He hit me because he didn't like the name I gave him! I worked so hard to come up with that name but he just hit me and said don't ever call me that again!"

When she finished, Hana resumed her cunning smile and leaned in dangerously close to tempt Naruto. Unfortunately she was right. Naruto couldn't do anything to her because she was his sensei's daughter. It would be horrible for Naruto to repay Hashi's generosity by striking Hana. Best case scenario, he was expelled from the clan. Even then, that would be a worst case scenario because he would be left to fend for himself against the shinobi and the angered Kuroihi.

"Can I at least get a list of suspects?" Yahiko's voice broke his thoughts.

"I'm sorry," Haku answered, "But that's off limits to everyone outside the remnants of the council. Even I don't know whose under suspiscion."

"Okay...did Oy-Oyabun mention anything else?" Yahiko asked. When he was met by silence, he added, "I see. Okay. You can use the room upstairs. You'll be sharing it with Hana and Naruto. I hope that will be fine."

"Of course," Haku's voice quivered. The door opened, revealing Haku on the other side. Much like before, Haku still wore the kimono from the Land of Waves and kept his hair in a bun at the back of his head. The kitsune mask he had adopted was kept at his waist beside his pack of senbon needles, on the side opposite of Zabuza's large sword. Even though he saw Naruto, making eye contact with him for a second, he strode past as if nothing happened and went upstairs to the second floor.

Naruto frowned at the loss of acknowledgement from his friend. He had done nothing to deserve it. Nothing!

"Naruto, can you come in here a minute, I have a job for you," Yahiko's voice called from within his office. Hana patted Naruto on the head and said, "Have fun, Naru!"

Hana traveled up the stairs to the second floor, sticking her tongue out at the scowling Naruto. _She was so much nicer back at the manor, _Naruto thought to himself. He closed the door behind him with a groan.

"I suppose she gave you a nickname?" Yahiko asked. Naruto nodded in defeat, to which Yahiko laughed. When Yahiko saw the annoyed look Naruto wore, he explained, "Yeah. She does that to mess with all the new guys. Don't worry, she's not a horrible person. It's just her way of having fun. Oyabun doesn't let her leave the compound much so she entertains herself anyway she can. Her favorite game thus far is too make fun of the new guy. She doesn't mean anything by it, she's jut bored."

Naruto shrugged. He could understand what Yahiko was getting at. If Naruto were confined to a small area for a long time he would probably start calling people funny name to entertain himself. Anxious to know why he was here, Naruto asked, "What did you need to talk about, Oyabun?"

Folding his hands and leaning on his desk, Yahiko explained, "There's an urgent matter that needs to be taken care of."

"Okay," Naruto said, "What's going on?"

"Haku came down here on Oy-Oyabun's orders to make sure that the clan had no loose ends," Yahiko said, "The point is this: the Kuroihi must take every step necessary to prevent any weaknesses from leaking out. We have to solidify our position, if we are to ensure our victory when the war breaks out."

"_When_ the war breaks out?" Naruto asked. Yahiko nodded grimly, "I'm sure you know we monitor some roads and collect tolls on frequently used routes. Well, a lot of our scouts and toll collectors have reported an increase of movement between the Land of Wind and the Land of Rice. Specifically, between Sunagakure no Sato and Otogakure no Sato."

"The sound and sand shinobi?" Naruto said, recalling his encounter with Gaara, Temari and Kankuro a few days ago. Still grim in face Yahiko nodded, "We have reason to believe that they are planning an alliance. We aren't sure why, yet. There's a whole lot of politics going on behind the scenes that we don't see. In any case, there's a good chance that the Enkou Syndicate and the Kaki Alliance will use it to their advantage."

"Who are the Kaki Alliance?" Naruto asked.

"They're another Ninkyo Dantai under suspicion for causing the attack on the Council Meeting," Yahiko answered, "Anyway, we need to be prepared for any situation. The worst case scenario is a war against two Syndicates at the same time. We're already spread thin because the Land of Waves went down hill. An attack now could shatter the Kuroihi's power. Therefore, we need to be in the strongest form we can be in. Our network and inner workings must remain anonymous and to maintain that anonymity, we have to remove all the loose ends."

"You're talking about assertive marketing," Naruto stated, to which Yahiko shook his head, "Not marketing, no. We're just removing the bad blood."

Despite the indirectness, Naruto had a fairly clear idea of what Yahiko was arriving at. As said in the Art of War by Sun Tzu_, 'What enables the wise sovereign and the good general to strike and conquer, and achieve things beyond the reach of men, is foreknowledge. Now this foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits; it cannot be obtained inductively from experience, nor any deductive calculation. Knowledge of the enemy's dispositions can only be obtained from other _men.' And of those men was the inwards spy. '_Having inward spies makes use of officials of the enemy.'_ If Sun Tzu's writings had any relevance, Yahiko was talking about getting rid of anyone who could be working for the other Syndicates. Perhaps his spy theory wasn't so off.

"Whose the guy?" Naruto asked anxiously.

"An old associate to the clan," Yahiko explained, "Utawa Oboro. He was pretty high up before he retired. At his age, he could be easily fooled into giving out information on the inner workings of the clan. I want you to get rid of him."

"But...Oyabun," Naruto paused, unnerved by Yahiko's intention, "This guy...at his age...he's a civilian. I thought we didn't touch civilians.

"He's not a civilian," Yahiko replied, "He's an old associate with knowledge about the Dewaya. If we were to rid ourselves of him, we could play it off as tying up a loose end. The Kuroihi must take every step necessary to ensure that the other families don't get an edge if we want to maintain our position as the strongest Ninkyo Dantai."

While everything Yahiko said made some sense in Naruto's mind, he couldn't shake his uncertainty. Nervous, Naruto said, "But I'm supposed to be in hiding though, aren't I? It wouldn't make sense to put it on me. Besides, shouldn't this assignment go one of the other guys? Preferably someone who isn't going to mess up? What'll happen if I get caught?"

"Naruto, I'm giving you the assignment because you're one of the few I can trust with this assignment," Yahiko explained, "Oy...Oyabun entrusted you to me. He thought it would be safe to let you into the clan, to trust you with the responsibilities of representing the Kuroihi. The only reason he never entrusted you with sensitive information was because he was worried for your safety. But now your safety is compromised regardless of whoever gets this assignment. Hell...it's compromised whether or not we do anything. All this is doing is ensuring our ability to keep fighting."

"But what about the village shinobi? What if I get caught?" Naruto asked.

"Let me worry about the shinobi and the consequences. Besides, this would be a good learning experience for you. You're going to get these kind of assignments sooner or later. Now, he lives in an apartment above his tea shop near the main gate. The shop is called called 'Utawa Sake'. Now when you go do the job, make sure you take care of him some place quiet. We don't want to attract any unwanted attention. Do it someplace quiet, and out of the way."

"Okay, Oyabun," Naruto stuttered out. He bowed and made for the door. As he turned the handle, Yahiko said, "Naruto, nobody is to know about this. Not even Haku. More importantly, I don't want any collateral damage. This is a clean assasination. If you can do the job, without getting caught, I assure you that you'll be well taken care of."

"Thank you, boss," Naruto said thankfully, closing the door behind him. He sighed, annoyed that he was given a job when he was looking forward to relaxing for the rest of the day. Still, if it got him the rest of the week off so who was he to complain?

And yet, Naruto couldn't help but wonder why Yahiko wanted this man dead now when there were so many other opportunities to take care of him. Why was this former member suddenly a liability, when he had been allowed to live past retirement? What exactly did he know and why did it make Yahiko so nervous? Another question that came to mind was why was it supposed to be kept under wraps, especially from Haku? Something was going up in the upper ranks, and it was making Yahiko panic.

There was too much triviality to it, and it was making his head hurt. He glanced once at a clock that hung on the opposite end of the hallway, which read 3:15. He walked to the stairs, intending to change his clothes before going out. He hadn't given it much thought until just then but he had been up since 3 in the morning and could already feel the stress of the day eating at him. As he ascended the steps, he saw Haku appear from out of the bedroom. Much like before, he passed by Naruto without a word of acknowledgement. Naruto dejectedly watched Haku disappear at the bottom of the stairs before traveling up the remaining flight of stairs to his own room.

The bed at the far corner was now covered with several bags of luggage, presumably Haku's. Naruto went to the dresser by his the bed and removed_ Kitsune_, his dress shirt, his under shirt and his slacks. He withdrew a fresh pair of clothing and a wash cloth from within his dresser.

He washed himself quickly with the cloth before discarding it with his dirty clothes and dressing in his fresh set of clothes. Feeling refreshed, he quickly replaced his katana at its place by his side and headed out. The assignment should have been quick and would take only a few minutes. Killing this man would be no real problem.

It was odd, wasn't it? He wasn't hesitant to kill people he hated, but was more than willing to kill someone he hardly knew. He would rather kill total strangers than someone he hated. It was neither normal or healthy. Murder was murder, regardless of the circumstances and yet his only gripe was when it came to people he hated. Why couldn't he bring himself to perform take life from people he didn't like. There really was something wrong with him, wasn't there? Murder was not something that came naturally as far as he knew, and yet he had been able to take life in the past without a second thought.

Gatou, that man in the alley, and the mercenary in the warehouse. All three of them died by his hand, and he had given little thought about their deaths. He remembered hearing stories from travelers at the Ichiraku Ramen Cart, about their past crimes and how it haunted their dreams. Maybe he was the exception to the rule, because none of those deaths really bothered him. At least as far as he knew. He chuckled at the idea of him being an emotionally, insane wreck a few years from now. Who knew? Maybe it would happen, not that he would like it to.

He made several rounds around the main gate area, before finally finding the target building. It was a small, out of the way shop hidden in a back corner behind some of the larger buildings. Despite that, there were still a few patrons inside, sipping away at their tea or guzzling down bottles of sake. It was obscenely quiet. Everyone was clearly concerned with their own thoughts or business.

Naruto stepped inside the darkened hovel, only to hear, "HEY! We don't serve kids here!"

He perked his head in the direction of a scrawny old man behind the counter, wearing an apron over a plain white shirt and slacks. He pointed at Naruto with a shaky finger, wearing a sullen but authoritative look on his face. All eyes were on Naruto, unnerving the blonde where he stood. Why was he so shaken by all the eyes that were on him? He didn't know these people. But their eyes. They were the same hateful, disapproving eyes he had seen so many times as a child. He shook nervously, trying to find the strength to ignore their gaze.

Once he was able to find himself, he walked over to the old man. His voice shaking, a lump in his throat from anxiety, he asked, "Are you Utawa Oboro?"

"Who wants to know?" the man spat. The man moved the collar of his shirt aside to reveal a dragon tattoo at the base of his neck, "I'm not going to ask you again. Get out, we don't serve kids here."

The tattoo on his neck revealed he was formerly a member of the Kuroihi, that much was certain. Putting his hands on the counter, Naruto's still shaking voice said, "The head of the Dewaya has important message to give you."

The man responded with only a curious look, sizing Naruto up and down. He carefully examined every inch of the blonde before saying, "Are you the errand boy?"

Naruto bit his tongue at the name, replying with a simple nod. He wasn't anyone's errand boy. Naruto squeezed the handle of his katana, tempted to cut the man down where he stood. He didn't have to worry though. The man would be taken care of in due time. He just had to be patient.

"Alright, come around back," Oboro grunted, swinging the counter door open to let Naruto behind the counter. Naruto stepped through, closing the counter door behind him and following Oboro into the back of the bar. The back was nothing more than a storeroom full of bottles of sake and boxes of assorted teas. At the opposite end of the room was a flight stairs, which Oboro and Naruto climbed to reach a narrow corridor.

"My grandson is napping upstairs," Oboro pointed out, putting a finger to his lips. Again, Naruto nodded in reply as they passed an ajar door. Inside lay a small child, probably younger than Konohamaru, sleeping on a comfortable bed. Naruto raised an eyebrow in surprise though. He wasn't told about any children. Specifically, a grand child. Oboro not only lived past retirement, but had a family. Naruto was assigned to kill a family man, and even worse was the grandchild was present. Did he kill the boy too? Or did he kill the old man and make a run for it, hoping the boy didn't awake to witness the crime. Did he kill the boy in his sleep too?

"His parents were both shinobi and they were killed during a mission," Oboro added, "I'm all he has now."

Naruto desperately wished that Oboro hadn't added that last part. He didn't need anymore on his conscience or anything that could distract him. They continued down the hallway until they reached a bed room at the end. Oboro ran to a bed side drawer, explaining, "Be sure to tell Boss Dewaya that we'll be short this month. The panic about this war is scaring away even the loyal customers."

Naruto saw his opportunity before him. The old man had his back turned. If Naruto were to strike now, it would be a good clean swipe. He even had a clear shot at his head. Wrapping his hand around his katana, Naruto drew the weapon from its scabbard, and raised it over his head. He hesitated to bring it down, troubled by the thought of Oboro's grandson. The old man shut the drawer, holding a sealed envelope. He turned to face Naruto. The blonde, realizing his opportunity was almost gone, brought the katana down into the old man. It pierced his back, coming out of the other side. Blood dripped down the edge of the blade, dripping onto the floor.

"You..." the old man struggled, "Yahiko...we had...a deal!"

Naruto twisted the blade grinding it against his internal organs. It wasn't so much to torture the man as it was to make sure he hit a vital organ. The old man grunted in pain as the metal moved against his bones, "How low...has he gone...sending...kids...to do...this."

"It's nothing personal," Naruto assured the man, "We just need to tie up a loose end."

"Is that...what he...told...yo-you?" Oboro grunted weakly with an all-knowing look on his face. As Naruto retracted the blade from inside, Oboro breathed his final words, "Heh...times...are...chang...ing...Hakuoro..."

His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he slumped to the ground. Naruto furiously wiped the edge of the blade against the man's shirt, doing his best to keep the katana clean. But the harder he tried, the bloodier it seemed to become. Naruto stopped, returning the katana to his scabbard. He picked up the envelope Oboro dropped and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief, concluding that the worst of it was over.

"Where's grandfather?" he heard a young voice say. Naruto perked his head, staring horrifically at the young boy, who was leaning out his door with an innocent face. Naruto was speechless, unsure what to tell the boy who looked at Naruto expectantly. After an extended silence, the boy cocked his head to side with a dread filled face, "What...what did you do?"

The cat was out of the bag now. Naruto rubbed his hands together, unsure of what to tell the young lad. That he killed the boy's only living family? That he killed the the old man for a good reason. As silence filled the room, the boy's eyes went from dread to pure horror. the same face worn by Haku, Tsunami, Eiji and Inari wore during the warehouse incident. It was a mix of hate and fear plastered into one facial expression. The boy dashed past Naruto, running into the room behind him. Naruto took this chance to take off down the stairs. From upstairs, he heard the boy cry, "GRANDPA!"

When he got back into the bar, one of the patrons asked, "Hey! Where's Oboro?"

Naruto ignored the man and kept walking to the exit, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. As he reached the door a loud, distraught wail escaped from upstairs and echoed through the entire bar. As all eyes traveled to the back door, Naruto dashed out of the bar and walked at a fast pace away from the area. He had to look calm and collected, while getting away from the scene as fast as he could.

This late in the day, the streets were next to empty save for a few people going about the last of their business. This was a bad sign because he would have been easier to spot once the village's shinobi started looking for the murderer. To make it worse, several uniformed shinobi leapt overhead from rooftop to rooftop. Growing anxious, he slipped into a nearby alley. Hopefully they were just making a routine patrol for the security of the village and not searching the area. He assured himself that there was no chance that the child knew what to do, and that patrons were clearly the kind to keep to themselves. Things would work out.

Even if they did work out for Naruto, what would happen to the kid? He found his grandfather horribly murdered. He could only imagine what must be racing through the child's mind. _I wish I didn't have to get that kid involved_, Naruto thought to himself regretfully. The look of sheer horror on the boy's face was still fresh in his mind, as if to accuse him of his deed. Naruto knew he did it, there was no need to conceal that fact. Hopefully, the child would find it in his heart to forgive Naruto. But there was no chance of that. He had killed the boy's last living family. What was going to happen to the boy? Would he die of starvation? Would he kill himself in despair? A lump was growing in his throat, suffocating him until he couldn't breathe.

His heart began to race, sending blood to every part of his body but his face. He could felt dizzy. He put his hand to his chest, squeezing the area over his heart in a vein effort to slow his heart down. It was there that he felt something odd in his breast pocket. A flimsy cylinder that compressed under the weight of his hand. Reaching within, he found the cigarette that Yahiko had given him a few days earlier.

He had forgotten all about the little thing since he had no reason to use it. At least, not yet. Yahiko said these things were supposed to calm a person's nerves. One wouldn't hurt, right? All he needed was a lighter, a match, or anything that could make a spark. He didn't have any on hand though. It was a shame as well. He needed something to help calm him down. His heart was still beating quickly against his ribs.

Wait! Why hadn't it occurred to Naruto before? He searched the ground for a stone. Rough or smooth, either would do. It just had to be big enough. After searching for a few minutes, he found a rough rock that scratched his bare hand merely with touch. Drawing his katana, Naruto ran the edge quickly against the surface of the stone. A few sparks broke off. That would have to do. Holding the small cigarette against the rock, Naruto ran the blade against the surface again. Nothing. No sparks, no heat.

Flipping the stone over, Naruto tried again. This time, a few sparks flew off. One hit the small cigarette. It didn't catch any heat. He tried it again. This time, a small orange glow sparked off inside the cigarette. A wispy cloud emanated from the end, filling the air with a foul smell. He brought it to his nose, sniffing it to get a sense of its smell. It smelled of ash, that made Naruto nauseous. How did people stand these things?

Still, he needed something to calm him down and if this could do the trick, he wasn't going to complain.

He placed the butt in his mouth, taking a long inhale. Instantaneously, his lungs felt as if they had caught fire and his throat began to burn. His stomach churned uneasily. All the blood rushed out of his head, and the world began to spin. Unable to stand it, Naruto pulled it out of his mouth and started coughing maniacally. Between each cough, he gasped for whatever air he could get. As the fits slowed to a crawl, Naruto felt the uneasiness of his stomach move up his body. Before he could do anything, he vomited a horrific brown stream of food that burned his gut. Once the last of it escaped, Naruto fell backwards against the building behind him and gasped for air in tears.

That was supposed to be calming? It was horrible! It was unbearable! Only an idiot would enjoy something this horrific. There was absolutely nothing cool about this horrific substance! And yet, he couldn't find the desire to rid himself of it. He couldn't put it down. Instead, he placed it in his mouth again, taking a shorter inhale. He broke out into another fit of coughs, just as agonizing as the last. No matter how horrible it was, he couldn't stop himself from taking more and more whiffs from the cigarette.

He continued until the entire stick was gone, which took some time. He felt a sense of contentment was now that the entire cigarette was gone. He would never do take another cigarette ever again. Something about it made him come back for more, even though it only made him cough like crazy. Like sake, this was something he would never understand. He looked up at the orange sky above. The sun was setting in the horizon, soon to disappear. He smiled contently, watching the sun disappear from sight. Night consumed the village.

......

**Author's Notes: **hope you all have enjoyed the story so far. Like I said, my schedule has been very busy and I have had very little time to work on it so I apologize. The next update will come in 6 weeks on January 2nd! If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	24. An Apology

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced by Viz Media. The Art of War is the published text of Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicates, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Notes: **Well folks, I hope you had a Happy Holidays and an exciting New Year. I would like to begin by saying I wish you all the best of luck in your endeavors for this year. Now that its out of the way, I would like to thank everyone who left a review for Oyabun. You guys are really great. I also want to thank those of you without negative reactions to the story's sudden pairing. I know it seems like I just dropped it on you, the readers, but I assure you that it changes nothing. This story is still about Naruto's descent/rise in the criminal underworld (depending on how you look at it). I would like to ask that you forgive any spelling/grammatical errors. Neither of my betas got back to me so I had to do the entire process my self. Also, I will be deleting Chapter 4 (Which is just an author's note) in a couple of weeks so don't be surprised if the story goes down a chapter. Now I would like to respond to some reviews:

**Akira Stridder: **Thanks for the comment ^^

**Psychocitten: **After how long I was planning the 'cigarette' scene, I'm glad you liked it.

**Get-Lost: **You can't win them all I suppose. Although I am curious: What do you mean by Shoe-horned? I've been planning on pairing Naruto with another character for ages.

**YellowDemonFlash: **I'm thankful that you're willing to be patient with me -especially since college is a horrible, horrible experience- but have no worries! That part of the story is already in motion!

**Peter Kim: **In order by review: 1 – That is a very fine point, however its not what Oboro knew about Naruto and more about what Oboro knew about Yahiko. There are multiple subplots in the story that I shine a light on from time to time and, if you pay close attention, you'll know why Yahiko did it. 2 – You really hate Sasuke, don't you?

**T3Ko: **I'm glad you enjoyed but I need to know: did it seem realistic? I've never actually smoked before so I had to ask some friends on their experiences.

**Firehedgehog: **Ah! Nice to see you decided to read Oyabun. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

**cjonbloodletter: **Really? Thanks so much for that wonderful compliment.

**Draco Silverclaw: **Thanks for being so forgiving. Again, it really bugs me when a person's speculation is dead on. It seems to be happening more and more often lately.

**Lexor: **Two things: First, do you mind if I steal that idea? Two, its both more complex, and simpler than that.

**Virtual Vertigo: **I want to thank you for your input and your compliment on my writing ability. However, your idea conflicts with my personal philosophy on exploring new avenues over taking the same route over and over again. I took Oyabun in this direction because I believed it would produce an interesting story with complex characters. With all due respect and apologies: I like your direction, I don't see it producing the kind of quality I want in a story.

**colin: **I'm really glad you liked the idea and I hope you enjoy the ending for this story.

**Reluctant Wisdom: **The Reserve? ^^ I'm an Air Force brat (mom and stepdad), so I'm vaguely familiar with Military lifestyle. ^^ Best of luck to you! Remember, keep your head down! And, like I said, Naruto and Hinata will have a supportive relationship. They'll support each other, but they won't always approve of the others actions.

**InARealPickle: **I'm glad you enjoyed it. As good as your speculation on Hashi is, it all hinges on the idea that Hashi knows Naruto is the jinchurriki for the Kyubi. However, Hashi doesn't know Naruto is a jinchuriki. His motivations stem more from the original design I had for Hashi in the RSOM submission for Tokyo Pop. That is probably the only part of Hashi that I have not changed. And Keitaro? It's called being two steps ahead. I'm sorry if my writing style is vague but its modeled after the writing style of Mario Puzo, author of The Sicilian and the more well known The Godfather.

**Broken Sexed Up Bloody Kitten: **I'm glad you like it, but what is it with people thinking I will Sasuke? I never explicitly said I will, just that I might.

I believe that is it so, without further ado, I present to you the continuation of Oyabun:

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 24: An Apology**

Naruto lay curled up in his bed, underneath the cover of his sheets. He stared at his bare feet, wondering how much time had passed since he first returned. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? It felt more like years had gone by. He desperately wanted to fall asleep while it was still dark outside but was unable to put his mind to rest. He would close his eyes to sleep, but the image of grandson's horrified face always brimmed forth to haunt him. Assuming Oboro was utter his grandson's name with his breath, the boy was name Hakuoro.

He shuddered to think the man's dying thoughts were for his grandson. In an attempt to stop his shivering, Naruto drew his knees in to his chest. His breathing became shallow and quick. The boy's face, specifically the horrific and accusing look he threw at Naruto, wouldn't go away. His grip on his knees tightened, digging deep into his skin but his mind was too horrified to worry about self preservation. Sure, he was off of work for the remainder of the week, but it wouldn't make that face go away. That horrid and accusing face.

**You've fallen far, haven't you? **The boy said, his voice becoming heavy and deep with a booming echo. The boy's accusing face twisted into a malicious grin, and it spoke, **How does it feel?**

_Bad, _he thought to himself, _Terrible._

**Pathetic**, the boy said.

_What do you want? _Naruto asked, _Isn't the guilt enough?_

The boy cackled angrily, **Do you honestly think that remorse can correct what you've done? You killed the boy's only living family. You left him to die in a tavern full of scum.**

_I'm sorry! Isn't that enough? _Naruto said in response.

**Sorry? You're sorry? Do you think apologizing can undo the damage?** the boy laughed back. His hair grew long and started moving backwards, as if to create two long ears. His grin grew wider, **You've condemned the boy to a life unimaginable. Worse than anything you've ever endured...**

_Shut up! Don't you dare compare me! _Naruto shouted, _You don't know me!_

At that, the boy's smile only grew wider and more insane. Lines began to form in his cheeks to resemble whiskers. In that instant, the boy seemed more demon than human,** I know you better than you think. Because...I am you!**

"SHUT UP!" Naruto shouted into the darkness, throwing the blankets off himself.

"Naruto?" Hana moaned, rising from her bed on the other side of the room, "Why are you shouting?"

Hana was rubbing her eyes, using the blanket to cover herself carefully. Glancing once at the bed beside his, Naruto saw Haku continue to sleep undisturbed. Grimly, Naruto apologized, I'm sorry...it was nothing..."

"...If you say so," she murmured before falling back into bed and promptly falling asleep. Naruto curled his hands into fists and grit his teeth. What came over him? It was all in his head. But that voice...what did it mean it was him? He was he, was he not? Did that even make sense? It had to be fake. Or a dream. But it was so hauntingly real. And why did the boy resemble some kind of monstrosity? What did it all mean?

His heart was still racing, pounding against his rib cage. He felt faint and cold. It seemed the fatigue of the day was finally getting to him. He closed his eyes and lay down flat on his bed, before falling asleep.

............

The Hokage often brought to mind the phrase "appearances can be deceiving". At first glance, one saw an old man dressed in the attire of Konoha's strongest ninja which would make anyone with a lick of common sense conclude he was senile or a thief. But when engaged in combat, his awesome might was more than enough to convince everyone otherwise. When coupled with years of experience, wisdom, and intelligence, he became an unstoppable force in the battle field.

And that night, his wisdom showed itself. It was a shock so great that it awoke him from his sleep. It was subtle and weak, but the sheer intensity of its was more than enough to fill his body with equal parts fear and anger. It was poisonous energy that drove any in its presence to insanity. Its taint was so great that it repelled all life in its vicinity. Just as quickly as he felt it, it vanished. For a moment, his heart felt as though it had stopped. He felt that chakra only once before, hoping to never have to feel it ever again.

Undoubtedly, he wasn't the only one to sense it. Rising from his bed, the old man strode out of his room and changed into his formal robes. He departed from his house to the Hokage's tower, moving as quickly as his old body would allow.

What did the sudden burst of chakra mean? The last time he felt it was twelve years ago when his successor, Minato, found no other alternative than to sacrifice himself and seal it away his newborn son. For obvious reasons, the infant took on his mother's maiden name: Uzumaki. For twelve years, Sarutobi did everything in his power to protect the boy from the truth concerning his vessel. That is, until the boy met his unfortunate end in the Land of Waves.

His old heart ached with pain when he read the report from Team 7, written by none other that Hatake Kakashi himself. However, any sorrow he felt paled in comparison to the feelings of Kakashi and Iruka. Iruka was strongly attached to Naruto during his time in the academy. In some instances, he seemed to be the boy's adoptive father. Likewise, Kakashi was the student of Naruto's father. Naturally, he must have felt some sense of duty to protect Naruto because of his devotion to his former sensei.

Kakashi had been witness to the death of everyone one he cared for: his father, his team mates Obito and Rin, Minato and now Minato's son. It was impossible to describe pain Kakashi was enduring at the moment. He was surprisingly strong for a shinobi who witnessed so much death. Admittedly, he wouldn't be surpised Kakashi if the lone jonin blamed Sarutobi for the boy's death. The thrid was more than capable of preventing the events of that day. He could have stopped Naruto's death.

Sarutobi was a Hokage and could have easily overruled the council's vote. When he received news of Naruto's sudden fraternizing with the Kuroihi, he asked a squad ANBU to retrieve Naruto for questioning. However, Danzo's Root had already beaten him to Naruto. Danzo secretly arranged for Naruto to be placed in a convoy that would take Naruto along with some known Boryokudan to one of his secret prison facilities. At the time, Sarutobi was certain he had lost.

He was thankful when he learned the convoy was attacked and everyone escaped, only to be mortified when he learned the assailant was a yakuza-hired assassin. And from this, a new problem had arisen: Naruto was now in the hands of a known criminal organization. Panicked, the village council held an emergency meeting to decide the boy's fate. His two old teammates, Koharu and Homura, along with Danzo had rallied enough of the council to concede a termination mission. Sarutobi argued passionately against the idea and hoped that a simple retrieval mission would suffice but failed.

Danzo was a man whom few in the village paid any heed to. Yet, he contended that retrieving Naruto was not enough. Whether or not the Kuroihi knew it, the boy was the vessel for the most catastrophic force in the world. If they were ever harness its power, they would be able to coax feudal lords to their will. They would pose a serious threat to the security of Konoha. To make matters worse, Naruto showed no sign of intending to return to the village. The village could no longer afford to protect someone who wanted nothing to do with the village, therefore the only solution was to terminate him. The next day, Naruto was put down in the bingo book as an S-Rank criminal.

These thoughts aside, the old Hokage brought into consideration the meaning of this sudden spark of chakra. There were many obvious considerations to bring to mind. First, Uzumaki Naruto was still alive and well in the village somewhere. This was a likely possibility but was still slim in chance. Second, some chakra from the Kyubi's attack had lingered for years without anyone's knowledge and was still controlled by its unruly will. This was much less likely, especially because the Kyubi died along Naruto. The third, and most frightening of possibilities, was a repetition of history. If the Kyubi truly was killed when Naruto ended his life, then there was a chance that the Kyubi was re-manifesting itself. Hatred was what created the demon fox in the first place. There was no denial that it could happen again.

If such was the case, then the old man was more than ready to sacrifice his life for the sake of his village. There was just one concern: would his life be enough? He was not as strong as he was in his prime. When fighting the Kitsune years ago, Minato (who outclassed Sarutobi in everyway) used all the chakra in his being to seal the monstrosity away. At his age, would there even be enough chakra in his body to even perform such a technique? He couldn't give this position to someone with more chakra than himself simply because he couldn't defeat it. He would simply need to find another way.

Still, another concern was pressing against his mind: If the demon fox really was to be reborn, why would it do so now?

......

Naruto wasn't exactly sure what the time was when he awoke or how long he was awake. In fact, he wasn't even sure how long he slept, if his eyes were closed at all. What he did know was he was alone in his room, staring blankly at the ceiling above him. It felt as though sleep escaped him that night. Truthfully, he was afraid to close his eyes because of the apparition of the boy seemed to appear as soon as he did. Each time, the boy displayed the hideous smile and mocking laugh. Even now, when he was wide awake, he could hear that demonic laugh mocking him.

Naruto groaned quietly and stumbled off his bed. He took a quick shower with cold water. It wasn't ideal considering how little sleep he had gotten but at least he would be awake. Sure enough, his body jolted awake as soon as the water came in contact with his body and finished cleaning himself quickly so he could get out. Once he was done, he went downstairs dressed in his old, orange jumpsuit and made a breakfast of milk and some instant ramen in the cupboard. Across the hall, he could hear arguing from Yahiko's office. He thought it was another client until the door flew open and slammed into the wall.

An angered Miji emerged from the office with an equally distressed Yahiko in tow, "Miji! Get back here, let me explain!"

"Fuck you!" Miji said, shaking his middle finger in disgust, "He was my uncle, dammit! MY UNCLE!"

"Miji, I understand your angry," Yahiko answered gruffly, "He was my friend too, okay? But it had to be done! It wasn't personal, it was business!"

"FUCK! YOU! YAHIKO! AND FUCK! YOUR! BUSINESS!" Miji barked back at him. He stormed up the stairs and shouted, "WHERE THE HELL IS THAT BRAT!?"

There was a loud commotion upstairs. Items fell to the floor and the clatter feet moving quickly and heavily. Again, Yahiko barked, "WHERE THE HELL IS HE, YAHIKO?"

"If you intend to harm him, Miji," Yahiko said, "I'm afraid I'll have to take more than a finger. That was Oy-Oyabun's orders! Nobody touches him!"

"GET OUTTA MY WAY!" Miji barked. Naruto heard the sound of a loud thud followed by the patter of running down the stairs before Miji appeared in the kitchen. His angry gaze fell on Naruto and he barked "YOU!"

"Wha?" was all Naruto managed before Miji grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pinned Naruto against the wall. Miji raised his fist and quickly crashed it down on the right side of Naruto's face. The sound of bone cracking echoed in his ears, and Naruto felt his sore mouth grow warm and sticky. He opened his eyes to see Miji, who appeared more monster than man. With an angry voice, Miji shouted, "WHY THE FUCK!?"

"What?"

Miji answered by bringing his fist into Naruto's gut, knocking all the wind out of his body through his mouth accompanied by red blood. Miji slammed Naruto against the wall again and barked, "DON'T GIVE ME THAT! YOU KILLED HIM, YOU MOTHER FUCKER! YOU FUCKING KILLED HIM!"

"Oboro?" Naruto said, as the thought dawned upon him. Miji returned his fist into Naruto's face again with a loud crunch. This time, he was certain Miji had broken something. Miji said in a low growl, "Don't you dare say his name!"

"What is going-" Naruto tried to say through the pain, only to find Miji land another hit on his gut. As Naruto gasped for air, Miji said, "Shut up!"

"Put him down," Haku said, appearing behind Miji and holding Zabuza's sword atop Miji's shoulder with the blade inclined to the area where Miji's neck met his shoulder. Naruto wasn't too sure when Haku entered the room but he was glad to see him. The arm holding Zabuza's weapon shook lightly. With a cunning tone, Haku added, "I would advise you to do so quickly before my arm gets tired and I drop the sword."

"What are you going to do? Kill an associate of the clan that is protecting you?" Miji smirked angrily. Drawing a sharp knife from inside his coat, he added, "Go ahead. If I die, this knife goes inside the boy and we both die."

Smiling calmly, Haku added, "I'm afraid you've miscalculated your position. I was ordered here by Boss Hashi of the Sakurazaki Clan to deal with traitors inside the Syndicate. So far, you've knocked out Boss Yahiko upstairs and are threatening to kill one of your fellows clansmen. Right now, you're looking like a traitor to the clan."

Miji grimaced in disparity, "Do you think I care? This...he...Naruto killed my uncle! My uncle, dammit!"

"Uncle?" Naruto repeated. Did...did this mean Miji and that old man were related? Before he could process this thought any further, Miji brought his fist into Naruto's gut forcing all the air out of his body, "SHUT UP! DID ANYONE SAY YOU COULD TA-ACK."

When Naruto was finally able to catch his breath, he opened his eyes to see the edge of blade beginning to slice into Miji's shoulder. Miji's grip weakened, prompting Naruto and the knife in Miji's other hand to fall to the floor. With little effort, Haku pulled the blade out of Miji's shoulder which was beginning to gush with blood. Using his free hand, Miji covered the opened wound and turned to Haku, "Go ahead...kill me!"

"No, I won't," Haku said, "Your uncle maybe be dead, but his grandson is still alive. He may not know, but you are his last living relative. And for his sake, I won't kill you."

"Living?" Miji said scornfully, "You call that living? Have you seen him? He's not even six and he's seen his entire family taken from him!"

"Not his entire family," Haku corrected. Miji growled, "Shut up! You don't get it!"

"He get's it perfectly Miji," Shinji said, standing at the doorway. He came forward, dismissively patting Haku on the shoulder before adding, "Don't pretend he doesn't Miji. Your the one who doesn't understand, always jumping to conclusions and thinking with your balls instead of your brain."

Miji hung his head, disdainfully looking away as Shinji went on, "I saw what you did to Oyabun upstairs. Typical Miji, blinded by your own emotions. I swear, sometimes its a miracle you've lasted this long. Haku, take Naruto upstairs. There's an associate of ours taking a look at Oyabun. Ask him to take a look at Naruto as well. Miji, you and I are going to have a little talk."

Naruto struggled to his feet, his head spinning from all the hits he had taken from Miji. But it wasn't just his head. It seemed the whole world was spinning beneath him. He lost his balance and fell backwards against the wall. Haku caught him before he slid too far down and slung his arm over his neck. As they left the room, Shinji closed the door behind him. Proceding up the stairs, Haku silently asked, "Naruto, are you okay?"

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but the nauseating effect of the spinning room made him throw up a mix of blood of the ramen he had just eaten. Haku rubbed his back in a circular motion, before adding, "I'm sorry."

"Mrh?" Naruto grunted. The room seemed to gain speed and spun around faster than before. As annoying and sickening as it was, it didn't detract from Naruto's hearing. What exactly did Haku mean by sorry? What did he have to be sorry for?

He didn't dwell to much on the subject because Miji's actions were still in the forefront of his mind. Naruto hoped that he would be able to put the whole ordeal concerning Oboro. However, the surprise witness of Oboro's grandson and now his nephew's reaction. What did it all amount to and, more importantly, what did that make him? Yes, he was following Yahiko's orders to tie up a loose end. Then again, he also murdered an old man who was taking care of his grandson whose parents were killed.

Naruto was so preoccupied in his thoughts, that he failed to realize they were finally upstairs in their bedroom. Lying with his eyes closed on the untaken bed was Yahiko. Beside him was a strange man in white clothing moving chakra-laden hands back and forth over his body. On the right sleeve of his coat was a red cross with equal sided arms.

The ninja perked his head up as they entered the room. Examining Naruto from a distance, his expression went sour and he promptly said, "I take it Miji got his hands on him?"

"Yes," Haku replied, "Shinji wants you to look at him when you're done with Boss Dewaya."

"Boss Dewaya's fine. A small bump on the head, but nothing too bad. He'll probably be out for a while, though. Put the boy on one of the free beds, take off his shirt, and I'll have a look," the medical nin replied, picking up a small bag that jingled with the sound of metal. Haku followed the orders and assisted Naruto into one of the beds. Assisting Naruto onto his back, Haku removed his orange jacket and black undershirt. The medical nin's hands began to glow with blue chakra and he begun to run it back and forth over Naruto's body in a circular motion.

As he worked, the medical nin commented, "He did quite a number on you, kid. Two broken ribs, a broken nose and jaw, internal hemorrhaging...That's odd."

"What's odd?" Haku asked.

"Most of the wounds seem to be healing themselves," the medical nin replied, "I've never seen a broken bone heal so quickly by itself...very strange..."

"How is it strange?" Haku asked. The doctor shrugged, "There's some kind of chakra presence that's doing most of the healing. It's not the boy's chakra though...it's some kind of foreign chakra...I can't quite place...this...it can't be...it's supposed to be dead."

"Is everything alright?" Haku asked quietly, peering over the medic's shoulder. The medic, shaken, responded, "I don't know. That's odd, the chakra just vanished. But chakra like that, it doesn't just disappear. Maybe I imagined it."

"Imagined what?" Haku asked, his tone growing serious. The medic chuckled and dismissively answered, "You're going to call me crazy, but I was certain there was demonic chakra healing his wounds for him. It was probably his own chakra network autonomously channeling chakra to heal the damage though. It does that sometimes when the body was seriously injured, you know? Pretty funny, right?"

"Yes...funny," Haku replied quietly. Naruto turned his head to see Haku, who wore a plain expression on his face. At least what stood out on the surface. But Naruto noticed what seemed to be a hint of shock and worry. Haku had realized something which was making him uneasy. The medic's grin disappeared, and he defensively said, "Hey! Everyone makes mistakes! Besides, you're not the one who spent four years in medical nin training!"

"I'm sorry," Haku apologetically answered, "I wasn't trying to mock you. I apologize if my tone seems rather flat, but I meant no offense by it. Also, as I recall, you're not a medical shinobi anymore."

"Shut up!" the medic replied gruffly, bringing all of his attention back to Naruto, "Hmm...everything looks stable so far. You might be disoriented for a while, though. You should probably take things slow for now."

Closing his bag, the medical nin bowed in Boss Dewaya's direction before leaving the room. Although the medical nin said Naruto was fine, his body as if it were made of lead. Solid lead of all things. His breathing was heavy and slow, sounding like shallow gasps with each breath. The door creaked open to reveal Shinji with a fresh blood stain on his shirt. With a monotonous voice, he asked, "How are Naruto and Oyabun?"

"The medical nin said they'll be fine, although Yahiko might be out for a while," Haku replied. A small wail echoed downstairs that ended in a soft thump, "What was that?"

"Our friend, the medical nin," Shinji replied, "He's the kind of guy who can't keep a secret and if word of this gets out, then the Dewaya are screwed. Our credibility will decline and the other ninkyo dantai will try to move in. Did the medic say how long?"

"No," Haku answered. Shinji cursed, pacing the room, "Okay...think...what do we do, what do we do, what do we do?

"About what?" Naruto answered forcefully. Shinji waved a hand dismissively, "There was a report earlier from one of our patrols...someone dropped three dead bodies in a small clearing right outside the second exam zone."

"Are there any clues to who?" Haku asked. Shinji shook his head, "Whoever did it ripped the faces clean off the bodies. I don't mean ripped the skin and stuff...I mean. It's almost as if the faces were never there to begin with. Just blank empty skin. Whoever did it, didn't want these bodies identified."

"Do you think it might have been another gang?" Haku questioned. Again, Shinji shook his head, "Not likely. It's too bold of a move for the Kaki, and too complex for the Enkou. I asked some of the guys to ask around and see what they can find out."

"Well, you're on top of everything now," Yahiko commented. Naruto craned his neck to view Yahiko, who was sitting upright with a palm to his forehead, "Damn...I forgot how hard Miji's right hook was. Are you alright, Naruto?"

"I've been better," Naruto answered strenuously, "I thought the job was supposed to be quiet."

"It was. I didn't want anyone to know about the job because Miji would find out about his uncle. But he found out anyway when he went to visit Oboro," Yahiko rose up, massaging his forehead between his fingers, and said, "Alright. Can you take care of things for me today, Shinji? My head is killing me."

"Of course, boss," Shinji bowed. The two left the room, leaving Naruto and Haku alone. Haku nodded at Naruto, and approached, "I have some work to do so I'll leave you to rest."

"Okay," Naruto replied to Haku as he left, shaking his head at the concept at rest. He wasn't even remotely tired, but his body refused to rise off the mattress for one reason or another. Letting a low yawn escape, Naruto stared blankly at the ceiling above him. Since he wasn't going to do anything, he may as well devise a plan to deal with Hinata, Sasuke, Sakura, and Konohamaru and his two friends.

The first, and most obvious question, was who to deal with first. He couldn't get all three at the same time because their combined strength would out class him in combat and challenging the jonin sensei was suicide. Sakura would definitely be the easiest to get to and deal with it. As attracted as he was to her, she was no match for either Hinata or Sasuke. Sasuke would probably be second. He was the strongest of the three but, unlike Hinata, didn't live in a heavily guarded compound with the rest of her clan. For that same reason, Hinata was the hardest of them to get to. The byakugan, which everyone in their clan had and used, meant they would all see him coming from a distance away. Conclusively, it would make the most sense to deal with her first.

If Sasuke and Sakura came before her, the rest of her clan and the village shinobi would go to great lengths to protect her as the last member of her team. However, that left another important question in mind – how would he get to Hinata and make her disappear? His first thought was to exploit someone she trusted within her own clan to kill her when she least expected it. But he was supposed to be dead and, besides which, was an S-rank criminal. There's no way he could convince anyone in the Hyuga to kill her.

Another option would be to get close to Hinata himself. Suicide was the word that came to mind and he quickly dismissed the idea.

However, what if he wasn't the one who got close to Hinata? Or rather, someone other than himself. That didn't exactly mean Naruto could get anyone to do it for him. By all means, he was in a village where he would be finished right on the spot if he was ever recognized. On the contrary, he could always use the Henge to get close to her. There was one flaw in this idea: the byakugan probably could see straight through a transformation technique.

Then the thought of kidnapping came to mind. Again, that idea was pointless since there was no way he could get close to Hinata without putting himself at risk. Perhaps he was better off to approaching the situation from a different angle. Instead of considering of how to deal with her up close, he would be better to ask how he should get Hinata from a distance. Surely the byakugan had some kind of limit to its range of visibility or a blind spot that no one knew about. However, the only ones who could divulge these secrets were far from likely to do so. Suddenly, the idea of getting close to Hinata didn't seem to insane by comparison.

...............

Sarutobi retrieved a book from the private library he kept in his room. This was a special book meant to be read only by Hokage and was written by none other than the First Hokage himself. The First Hokage knew he wasn't immortal and that the secrets to controlling the biju he shared with the other shinobi villages needed to be passed on when he died. Therefore, the First wrote all of his secrets in this simple book meant to be read only by the future Hokage should the need come.

He opened the book and quickly skimmed through the pages until finding the section he was looking for.

_Kyubi no Yoko_

_I have said this before and will continue to. All demons, regardless of whatever form or shape they take, are manifestations of an excess in the world. The manifestation occurs when nature attempts to diminish the excess to reinforce balance in the world. Much like how an excess of atmospheric moisture will condense into rain and, under the correct circumstances, snow. Or how an excess of a predator population will result in a decrease of the population of the prey which will cause an end to the surplus predator population._

_The Kyubi no Yoko, more commonly known as the Kyubi no Kitsune or the Nine-Tailed Fox, is perhaps the most destructive of the Biju as far as I have seen. It is the embodiment of man's deadliest sin, often misread as wrath. On the contrary, wrath is a mistranslation of the word mad which, by definition, means a frenzied mental state. To that effect, the intended meaning is insanity. _

Sarutobi paused for a moment. He had always believed the Fox demon was born from intense feelings of hatred, not insanity. Although, there was little reason for him to question the knowledge of the First. The First had never led Sarutobi wrong, even when he was still a child genin. There was no way the first would be wrong now. Turning the page, Sarutobi read on:

_The Nine-Tailed Fox is the literal manifestation of insanity which is the cause of its near infinite power and destructive abilities. The Nine-Tailed Fox is brought into existence by the excess of insanity in our world. Unfortunately, a direct definition of insanity is difficult to interpret since there are many causes/effects of insanity. Therein, future hokage, I feel it best to advise you in the signs which I have seen precede the birth of the demon fox._

_-Intense Feelings of Grief: Sorrow, Sadness, Timidity_

_-Wrath: Anger, Hate, Spite_

_-Fear: Suspicion, Cowardice, Paranoia, _

_-Delusion: Grandeur, Persecution, Erotomania_

_It is my hope that, one day, a time will come when we as a people will no longer have to feel these horrible emotions. Until that day, the cycle will perpetuate itself through the growth in excess of the above mentioned emotions. It is when nature attempts to corrects this imbalance created by the excess that the Kyubi no Yoko is born. I fear a time will come when my clan's kekkei genkai will no longer be in this world when the Kyubi returns._

_Therefore, I feel it necessary to instruct you, future hokage, in how to properly handle it. The Kyubi cannot be defeated by conventional means save for the Uchiha Clan. Their Kekkei Genkai, known as the Sharingan, allows them a form of control. It is not full control, but more of a kind of manipulation. Through a combination of advanced Genjutsu and Ninjutsu, an Uchiha is able to manipulate the beast's "will" but at a cost. As was the case for my old friend and cofounder of the village, Uchiha Madara, the strain that accompanies control over a being of such insanity drives the controller mad. All logical reasoning and restraint disappears, replaced only by one of the above mentioned attributes. One cannot describe the pain that follows watching a friend go mad trying to control the demon. The Madara I knew was gone, replaced only by spite for Konoha. Dare I say it, Madara was no longer Madara by the end of the battle. On the contrary, he was more monster than human._

_As it pains me to say it, only an Uchiha can truly stand against the beast without my kekkei genkai. There are alternatives to defeating this beast but they are much more costly than any method to defeat the other biju combined. So to you, the future Hokage, I provide this advice:_

The old man sifted through pages, reading with care. He couldn't afford to miss a single word, especially if his worst suspicions were true.

...............

The boy cackled maniacally at Naruto, with his face adorned with the an evil grin. He pointed at Naruto accusingly, "**Murderer!**"

Naruto jolted up out of his bed, a trickle of sweat rolling down the side of his face. He wiped the sweat off, breathing slowly and heavily. His body was no longer sore or heavy, which was good since there was a strong discomfort in his bladder that wasn't there before. He ran quickly to the bathroom, relieving himself just in time to feel the hunger pangs in his stomach. He went downstairs into the kitchen, taking caution for any sign of Miji, and prepared a bowl of left over rice and soy sauce.

As he dug into the food, Haku dragged himself into the kitchen and warmed a kettle of water before sitting down. With a low sigh, Haku turned to Naruto and showed a warm but faint smile. A genuine smile. At Naruto. With a tired, yet warm tone, Haku asked, "Hello...Naruto...are you feeling better?""

Naruto froze in surprise at the new development. Haku was talking to him again. And it wasn't the indirect comments Haku had used lately, it was directly acknowledging Naruto. When Naruto finally realized Haku was looking at him for a response, he nodded in confirmation. The kettle began to whistle behind him and Haku rose to pour the hot water onto a small cup which he filled with green leaves. Haku returned to the tabl, taking a small sip of his tea before turning to face Naruto. He stared with a blank look at the blonde, while he ate his rice. Perplexed (and creeped out by the longing look in Haku's stare) Naruto asked, "Uh...is something up?"

"Naruto, I," Haku stopped himself, his eyes sinking to the floor, "I wanted to apologize for how I've treated you since the rescue of the bridge builder's family. And I was hoping, as friends, we could put it behind us. And to prove I mean well, I want to make it up to you by completing the training Zabuza started."

Haku went silent, looking expectantly at Naruto for a response. Naruto didn't know how to respond though. Yes, Haku was sorry for how he had treated Naruto and Naruto wanted to forgive him. At the same time, a voice in the back of his head told him that an apology was not enough. Even if Haku promised to finish Zabuza's training, it didn't make up for the alienation. And yet, Naruto found it easy to completely ignore this voice's argument. Naruto calmly replied, "It's alright. But, why the sudden change? You used to never look at me."

"I..." Haku paused, his eyes staring off into space searchingly. After a moment's silence, Haku answered, "When Miji tried to kill you yesterday...I realized how foolish my actions were...how much I had lost because of my ineptitude...and how I swore to myself a long time ago, that I would protect everyone I cared for."

Naruto blinked, completely speechless. Was Haku making a love confession or something? It would confirm Naruto's suspicions, but would only incite more fear. In an attempt to change the subject, Naruto asked, "Er...what happened to Miji, by the way?"

"Boss Yahiko made an exception for Miji," Haku began, "Under normal circumstances, Miji would have been required to commit seppuku to be forgiven for attacking his Oyabun and threatening a fellow clansmen. However Boss Yahiko made an exception for Miji because he was now the last living relative of the boy whose grandfather you murdered. Yahiko's punishment consisted of two fingers from Miji and an oath to take care of his uncle's grandchild."

Naruto was again perplexed. He didn't think there would be so much trouble over a simple hit. The grandson, who saw his grandfather's corpse, was probably traumatized for life. Miji, who was the the boy's second cousin and Oboro's grand nephew, was bitter towards Naruto and was likely to never forgive Naruto. But worse than either of the two, could Naruto forgive himself for what he had done? The boy was haunting his dreams, mocking him accusingly. This was truly a mess he got himself into.

Haku, took another sip from his cup, adding, "Miji is moving Hakuoro into his apartment, right now."

"Did Miji...say anything...about me?" Naruto asked. Haku nodded, "He did. Nothing I would repeat, though."

Naruto's eyes went downward. _Yup,_ he thought, _Miji's bitter. _Naruto sighed, leaning back on his chair and pushing his bowl of rice aside. He would concern himself with Miji later. He had much more concerning issues to bring into the forefront of his mind. In particular, the issue concerning Team 7's Hyuga Hinata, Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke and Konohamaru and his two friends. For now, they were at the top of his priority list.

The next day, Naruto and Haku traveled several miles into the forest outside the village. It wasn't an ideal way to start off the training, but Haku insisted that the training take place far from prying eyes. To throw off any unwanted attention, Naruto adorned himself in his blue cloak and rice hat. Haku, on the other hand, wore his casual pink kimono and braided his hair downward as if to look as effeminate as possible. However, he made no effort to conceal Zabuza's large sword or his senbon needles which drew_ plenty_ of unwanted stares.

Once they were a good distance inside the forest, Haku turned to face Naruto and began, "Last time we did this training, Zabuza had you just channel your chakra straight into the weapon."

"Don't remind me," Naruto replied, "Just thinking about it hurts."

Haku chuckled, "I want you to do it again, one more time."

"You're trying to kill me, aren't you?" Naruto asked, half sarcastically and half seriously. Haku shook his head, "I just need to see something."

Naruto reluctantly retrieved kitsune from within its scabbard and began to focus his chakra. The katana absorbed his blue chakra and transformed into a majestic blue color. Then, it began to vibrate uncontrollably before unleashing a strong blast of blue chakra back at Naruto, hurling him backwards into the trunk of a tree.

............

Sarutobi shook his head disdainfully after reading Anko's report. First, the demonic chakra presence flickered somewhere inside the village. The thought of the Kyubi's return was a troubling thought in itself and should have been the forefront of his concern. Instead, his former student gone rogue returned to the village during the exam of all times. To make matters worse, he murdered and impersonated a team of Kusa genin to attack unprepared team of Konoha genin. To be precise, it was Kakashi's first passing genin team who also consisted of two heirs of the Konoha's most prominent clans.

That was not to mean Haruno Sakura's life was unimportant. She was as precious to Sarutobi as the rest of Konoha. However, dissent would arise in the Hyuga Clan if anything were to happen to Hinata. And Uchiha Itachi himself swore he would reveal the truth about the Uchiha Clan Massacre if anything happened to Sasuke. The third dispatched a team of ANBU to observe Team 7 for the time being. Normally, he would dispatch several others to hunt Orochimaru but Sarutobi's former pupil threatened to destroy the Chunin Exam if anyone tried to interfere.

Sarutobi closed the report and refilled his pipe with tobacco. He was too old to worry about all this. At his age, it was a miracle the stress hadn't given him a heart attack. And then, he promptly felt an intense burst of pain. His pipe fell to the floor and he put his hand to his chest, certain his old heart skipped several beats in fear. He replaced the pipe in his mouth and went to the window where he released a messenger bird out into the window.

It was the same pulse of chakra he felt the night before. Only the pulse was stronger, more intense, and further away. Its source was outside the village, which only confirmed his suspicions that the Kyubi would soon be born again. If that was the case, then he needed to prepare the village for the inevitable attack. As the First Hokage himself wrote: 'To prevent the birth of the demon is a futile effort. One cannot prevent the balance which nature is constantly trying to correct, and to do so would only result in the birth of another demon. It is better to allow nature to take its course and weather the catastrophe as best as possible.' but before he could prepare the village, he had to confirm his fears. Normally, he would use his crystal ball to see things at a great distance but even that had its limits. His visual field normally disappeared outside the village and use of the technique was very draining on his chakra.

As he headed out to the top of Hokage Tower, four ANBU appeared at his side. The lead ANBU asked, "You summoned us Lord Hokage?"

"I did, I'm sure the four of you felt that sudden pulse of chakra?" he asked as they reached the top of the stairs. The lead ANBU nodded, "We did. You don't think it was the Kyubi, do you?"

"I'm not sure, but I want to inspect the forests surrounding the village," Sarutobi explained, "Your team will provide my back up. If our worst fears are true, then there can be little time before its return."

"On the off chance that it does return, do you want us to attack it?" one of the ANBU asked. Sarutobi shook his head, "No. The five of us won't last long against the Kyubi no Yoko. If it comes back...we'll return to the village and bring as bring every chunin, jonin, and ANBU with us to stall its advance while the genin evacuate the civilians to the safe zones."

"But sir, what about the Chunin Exams?" another ANBU inquired, "The participating genin are still in the Forest of Death and Orochimaru said if the exam was stopped he would destroy the village."

"The exam will continue as planned. If it breaches the village wall, then we'll cancel the exam and send out genin to the evacuation teams," Sarutobi responded.

"And the other genin?" the same ANBU asked.

"They will return to their village," Sarutobi answered, "But if they want to help, let them. We'll need every able bodied shinobi if the village is attacked."

"Yes sir," the lead ANBU said. Sarutobi nodded, "No one is to know about this mission unless the Kyubi does return. The last thing we need it to cause a panic, especially with Orochimaru's return and the threat of a gang war. We move quickly and silently."

"Understood," the lead ANBU nodded. Understanding the importance of their mission, the five shinobi took off at high speed towards the mountain.

...............

Naruto was in an unimaginable world of pain. He rose off the ground, massaging his aching back while wondering, _What exactly was that suppose to accomplish?_ He grit his teeth to help him fight the pain while he retrieved Kitsune. Once the katana was safe in its scabbard, he returned to Haku who silently muttered to himself, "I wouldn't have thought it regressed so far."

"What regressed so far?" Naruto asked. Haku frowned, "Your chakra control is worst from last time. Most of the chakra didn't make it to the blade and the small amount that did was released."

"Really? It didn't feel any different than last time," Naruto answered. Haku shrugged, "That's what is interesting, you have so much chakra that you didn't notice how quickly you drained it. That one exercise burned the same amount of chakra you would find in a first year genin."

"Whoa..." Naruto gasped. He wanted to say he was surprised, but he wasn't. He hadn't even trained in any shinobi arts in quite some time so there was no telling how bad he was at it. There was the sexy jutsu he used about a month ago during his encounter with Konohamaru but that was practically second nature.

"Before we do anything else, you'll have to improve chakra control," Haku explained. Naruto cocked his head to the side and asked, "Okay...how do we do that?"

"Climb a tree."

"Climb a tree?"

"Climb a tree," Haku repeated definitively.

"How is that going to help me?" Naruto asked disbelievingly, folding his arms across his chest. Haku walked to the nearest tree and set his foot against the trunk, "Perhaps a demonstration is in order."

And with that, Haku proceeded to walk up the tree as though it were completely natural. when Haku reached the top of the tree, he turned to face Naruto and asked, "Did you see what just happened?"

"You climbed a tree without your hands," Naruto sputtered out, dumbstruck by Haku's sudden feat. Haku shook his head, "Yes, but you missed the point. By focusing your chakra to the soles of your feet, you can bind it to the tree trunk as if it were the ground. This technique is difficult to learn for even advanced shinobi, but if you can master the technique then you'll be able to channel your chakra with more efficiency."

Finished with his exposition, Haku dropped at a kunai at Naruto's feet, "Use the kunai to mark how high you can run up a tree. Then channel your chakra to your feet and try to beat that mark."

"Alright," Naruto said ecstatically, grabbing the kunai in his hand and taking off at full sprint for the tree. His first run brought him about a foot up the trunk, which he quickly marked before gravity pulled him down. He used the hand signs from his education in the academy and began focusing his chakra to his feet. Concentrating as hard as he could for the better part of ten minutes, he finally managed to feel the tingling sensation in his feet which signaled the build up of chakra. He proceded to focus on binding the chakra in the soles of feet with the trunk. Certain nothing could go wrong, he took off in another sprint.

And promptly fell to the ground face first. For some reason his feet refused to rise off the ground when he dashed. He turned over to face a laughing Haku. Irritated by his humiliating fall, he asked, "Okay, what happened?"

"You tried to bind the chakra in your feet, correct?" Haku asked. Naruto nodded, "Wasn't that the point?"

"The point was to bind the chakra in your feet to the trunk, not the ground," Haku pointed out, "You binded the chakra in your feet too early and the end result was your feet gluing themselves to the ground. When you dashed forward and feet your feet refused to move, you fell down and lost focus on the chakra in your feet. In order for the technique to be successful, you need to bind the chakra in your feet the instant you make contact with the trunk and not before."

"Alright," Naruto said. Picking himself up, he repeated the process and began to refocus the chakra into his feet. This time, he would bind the chakra as soon as his feet touched the tree. He had to admit, it was nostalgic to be training with chakra again. It reminded him of his academy days. The carefree days before he was a member of the Kuroihi or a 'deceased' S-Rank criminal who was underground. When he dreamed of being 'Hokage'.

Once he was sure the chakra was built up in his feet, he took off on a sprint towards the tree. Once his foot touched the tree, he brought the binding to the forefront of his mind. Oddly, he didn't feel the pull of gravity slowing him down. It was like running on the ground, only it wasn't. This liberated feeling was distractingly joyful. So distracting, that he felt gravity rear its ugly head and pull him down. Acting quickly, he sliced the kunai across the bark of the tree before falling straight downward.

Catching himself before the ground broke his fall, Naruto examined his work. He had gained an inch over his first mark. He smiled to himself with a sense of accomplishment. At this rate, he was going to make it to the top of the tree in no time.

......

**Author's Notes: **hope you all have enjoyed the story so far. Like I said, neither of my betas got back to me so I apologize for any errors I made. The next update will come in 6 weeks on February 13th! If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	25. Fight then Flight

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as a cartoon by Viz Media. The Art of War is the published text of Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicates, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Notes: **Well folks, Valentine's day is almost upon us so I hope you all plan on spending it with your significant other. I will be working on catching up on some overdue work. Now that its out of the way, I would like to thank everyone who left a review for Oyabun. You guys are really great. I also want to announce that I am now working on a little project called "Happy Campers" with a man known only as "Duke", famous for his strip "Ansem Retort". So I now have more work beside being a college student and working a normal job which will affect my update schedule. Thankfully one of my betas actually got back to me this time so all of the grammar errors should be cleaned up. Now on to responding to reviews:

**Miss Naye: **Ooh, interesting prospect but we'll burn that bridge when we get there.

**T3Ko: **Thank you very much.

**Demon Eyes Bob: **SURE SURE SURE

**Broken Sexed Up Kitten: **I'm moving as fast as my hands can type.

**Armor of Geddon: **I'm glad you liked it. A lot of this was planned out ahead of time. I agree with your sentiments on Kakashi though. In retrospect, it wasn't such as smart move.

**Peter Kim: **Bad things will happen, I'll say just that much.

**lazybum: **Tayuya may be important in this story. The truth is I do have plans for her character, but I'll keep that to myself for now.

**pkp033: **Ah yes. The Sicilian. I'm sorry but I haven't had much time to read it lately so I was summarizing what I could remember. I'm glad you pointed that fact out and I will go back and correct when I have the time to. However, there is a fine line between 'inspired by' and 'based on'. The Sicilian encouraged me to write the Oyabun, but I'd say it draws more from The Godfather or Goodfellas. In fact, some other sources I draw from include: Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories, Scarface, The Sopranos, Yakuza 1 and 2, Confessions of a Yakuza, Kino's Journey, the Little Prince, Kodomo no Omocha, Monster, The Daughter of Twenty Faces, Black Cat, and The Last Don. Rest assured though that Naruto will still be a good person even if he becomes a criminal. I also agree that a yakuza could never beat a ninja, but given the correct circumstances, the ninja may choose to back down.

**Lexor: **Yeah, the insanity was a spur of the moment idea but I plan to expand on. Also, thanks. I could really use some of those.

**Shadow Sensei: **Wow that's a lot of reviews. Thanks so much, and I'm glad you love it. I'll admit right now that this chapter is a bit anti climactic. I did the best I could but time restraints work against me.

And so, without further ado, I present to you the net chapter of Oyabun.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 2****5: Fight then Flight**

Naruto fell downwards, catching himself before his back broke his fall. He stared up at the tree to admire his work. With each mark he gained about another inch over his previous one. That was his fifteenth run up the tree and he already gained a whole foot over where he had started. Now he just had to get a whole foot from where he began. It was almost _too _easy. He took a deep breath and began channeling his chakra into his feet again, just in time for a sharp sting to pierce his feet.

In that instant, Naruto lost focus and recoiled backwards, "What was that?"

Examining his feet, Naruto saw the skin turned had turned red and showed signs of bruising. Running his fingers across the bruising, he felt the sharp sting from the tenderness of the skin. He looked at Haku for an explanation, "What happened?"

"Chakra burning," Haku said uninterestedly, "Like I said, most of your chakra is wasted when you channel it so, even though you didn't realize it, you were pouring chakra into your feet. The human body wasn't made to withstand the amount of chakra that you channeled."

Rubbing his sore feet, Naruto rose back up and performed the hand to bring chakra to his feet. As the pain started up again, Haku asked, "What are you doing?"

"Training," Naruto said.

"We should stop for now. Your feet are in no condition for you to continue training," Haku protested, "Unless you aim to lose them."

"I'll be fine," Naruto answered, taking off for another run at the tree. Haku, however, chose to put his arm in the way and catch Naruto, "No, you won't. This if for your own good."

Naruto saw a look in Haku's eyes that tried to convey a message. A warning look. Understanding immediately, Naruto put on his best display of a struggle against Haku's grip while spitting out protests, "Let me go! I sai-"

Haku ignored him, pulling him deeper into the forest, away from Konoha. As they moved, Haku quietly whispered back, "It's twenty meters behind us."

"How come you didn't mention this earlier?" Naruto whispered back between complaints, ignoring the fact that he didn't even sense anyone there. Haku shrugged, "I thought you knew and it didn't seem like a threat at the time. I dismissed it as an animal at first but now I'm certain it's a person."

"Do you think it's a shinobi from Konoha?" Naruto whispered back between complaints. Although they were in potential danger, Naruto couldn't help but become excited. The tension of plotting his next move with Haku brought him back to the Land of Waves, where he commanded the Kitsune Syndicate. It was as exhilarating then as it was now. Haku adjusted Naruto in his hand and shook his head, "No...the footsteps are too heavy...and there appears to be more than one of them. They are carrying a weight that's being dragged around."

"A weight?" Naruto asked again, before shouting, "I SAID LET ME GO!"

"Its not a heavy weight," Haku whispered back, "but they are dragging it across the ground, which means they're either too weak to carry the weight or they're very close to the ground. Right now there are four, but only three of them are carrying the weight."

"And the fourth?" Naruto whispered before growling, "I SAID LEMME GO!"

"That's one just appeared a little while ago," Haku said, "I'm not sure, but I think that one's not with the other three. The fourth's chakra levels are pretty high compared to the other three. He's probably acting independently."

"So then we wait and watch," Naruto whispered conclusively. Haku nodded. They proceeded deeper into the forest, the only noise coming from Naruto's complaints and the ambient wild life. After thirty minutes had passed, they came to a small stream that flowed coolly and quietly. Haku whispered in Naruto's ears, "In your condition, the best you can do is play the bait."

"I agree," Naruto said, "I'll lure them out and you ambush them."

Haku released Naruto and instructed loudly, "Soak your feet in the water, it'll make the swelling go down. I'm going to go find some herbs to treat the wounds."

Naruto complied and kicked off his blue sandals. Haku disappeared into the woods while he laid down by the brook. He placed his feet in the cool water and immediately felt the relieving sensation in his feet. Sighing in content, Naruto took a handful of the water and splashed it onto his face. Feeling refreshed, Naruto wiped it off and stared up at the sky above. Overhead, the clouds rolled by listlessly, occasionally blocking the sun from view. The trap was set. All he had to do was wait for the prey to take the bait. It was a mere matter of playing the waiting game. He cracked a small yawn and stretched his arms on the ground. He suddenly grew tired and closed his eyes for a moment. Only a moment.

WHOOSH!

_Kunai_! Naruto thought. Rolling over onto his stomach, Naruto drew his katana and parried the plastic knife with a swift swing. It split in two pieces and fell into the water behind him. Rising to his feet and holding his katana as he had been instructed to, Naruto shouted into the forest, "Alright! Come out!"

A loud, cheery voice in the forest returned his growl, "Man that was so cool! You're as sharp as ever boss!"

"Huh? Boss?" Naruto repeated, a click in his mind told him to fear the identity of the followers but for reasons that did not include a physically superior opponent. Before him stood the same poorly painted box meant to resemble a rock with two eyeholes sticking out of the front, except now it was longer than before. Cursing his luck, Naruto lowered his katana and asked, "Konohamaru?"

BANG!

Loud coughs filled the air as a could of red, blue and yellow smoke spiraled upwards. Waving the smoke away with his hand, Naruto stared down in disbelief at the spot where the box once stood. As the smoke cleared, the coughing figures of Konohamaru and his two friends became clear, "I think we used too many smoke bombs, guys."

"Oh man, it is you," Naruto groaned. Konohamaru and his two friends jumped to their feet and grinned wildly, "HEY BOSS! Long time no see, right?"

"What are you doing here, Konohamaru?" Naruto asked, dreading the answer but wanting to know all the same. Konohamaru ecstatically explained, "You said to go meet you when I finally mastered the Henge! Well I went to go see you but you were leaving with that other guy. We thought you might be in trouble so we used our special disguise to follow you here. But then it turned out that he was your sensei so we decided to watch and see how you learned all of your super cool techniques!"

Naruto was in stunned silence. Konohamaru really was stupid, wasn't he? That or just a very unlucky kid. All the same, he was flattered that Konohamaru felt he had to help, even if he was just jumping to conclusions. But to come this far out of the Hidden Leaf Village without an escort was just plain foolish. What if they had gotten hurt? Surely the village would blame him if anything happened to Konohamaru. Then the possibility that they were using their own bait to trap the bait. Haku did mention a fourth person who maintained a shadow's distance behind the these three. If such were the case, then there was a huge risk involved because it would place three children in harm's way. Konoha would never resort to those kind of tactics, no matter what the circumstances. He would have to give them the benefit of the doubt.

"Oh hey! Boss!" Konohamaru added, "These are my friends: Udon and Moegi! And together, we are the: KONOHAMARU CORPS!"

"The Konohamaru Corps?" Naruto repeated stupidly. Naruto considered the irony of naming themselves after a combat unit when they were easily frightened by the Suna nin. Naruto shook his head at the memory and came back to reality in time to hear Konohamaru add, "I told them about your technique and they want to learn it too!"

"They do?" Naruto asked, once again dumbstruck. The three of them nodded unanimously. _These guys are crazy, aren't they? _Naruto thought. It was bad enough that Konohamaru wanted to learn it, but now there were three. If anyone saw them using it, they would make the connection to himself, the Oiroke's creator. Then they would know he was alive.

"So are you going to teach us boss!?" Konohamaru jumped excitedly. Naruto frowned, uncertain of what to do with this new turn of events. Sun Tzu's book said "Captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept. This is called: using the captured foe to augment one's own strength." But these three weren't soldiers. They didn't know how to fight, and worse, was that he had been trying to devise a way to kill them.

"Come on Boss! You promised you'd teach me!" Konohamaru cried. Naruto realized he had been standing dumbstruck for the better part on an hour and snapped out of his trance. Lowering his rice hat sightly, he ordered, "Alright, show me your Henge by transforming into Moegi."

"Alright!" Konohamaru said. Making the proper hand signs, Konohamaru disappeared into a cloud of smoke and transformed into a perfect copy of Moegi. Satisfied, Naruto looked over to Udon and Moegi with a different command, "Okay, you two turn into Konohamaru."

They complied without question and turned into a perfect copies of Konohamaru. Once again, Naruto was satisfied. Each of them were able to use the transformation without too much trouble. The next part would be the hard one, though. They would have to turn into something their eyes were probably not ready for, much less their minds. As they turned back into themselves, Konohamaru asked, "So boss! What's next?"

"Well," Naruto started, "First you need to transform into the prettiest woman you can imagine."

Konohamaru scratched his chin bemusedly, "Hmm...a pretty woman? Okay!"

"HENGE!" Konohamaru called, transforming into a young brunette dressed in a blouse and skirt version of Konohamaru's clothes. Her hair extended down to her back, swept gently by a calm breeze. However, her body was still a little to masculine for the Oiroke. Specifically, the chest had pectoral muscles instead of a bosom and hips that were too tight together. Excitedly, Konohamaru asked, "Like this?"

"No! No!" Naruto said, "You have a woman's face but the body is all wrong!"

"It is?" Konohamaru asked, staring down at his physique with a confused gaze.

"Yeah! Her breasts have got to be bigger and the hips have to be wider!" Naruto pointed out, just then realizing how easily misconstrued the entire conversation could be. Before Naruto could ask him to stop, Konohamaru had already redone the Henge and transformed his body just as Naruto had said: by widening the hips and giving him bigger pecs. Naruto was suddenly disheartened by Konohamaru's misunderstanding. All he did was make the figure more buff. Was he even trying to get it right?

"She's got to be thinner!" Naruto pointed out.

"Thinner?" Konohamaru asked. Naruto explained, "Yeah. For the Oiroke to work, you have to make the perfect slender female body. She needs to have smooth, soft skin; not a hard, muscle toned body. Here, let me show you the Oiroke again."

Running through the hand signs flawlessly, Naruto transformed into his nude female Oiroke. The figure was clouded teasingly in a seductive pose. To add effect, Naruto blew a soft kiss and giggled. Konohamaru and Udon practically melted away while Moegi's face contorted in disgust.

"Ew! Boys are so gross!" she said disapprovingly, "I can't believe you guys like that!"

"No way Moegi!" Konohamaru pleaded, "Believe me! Boss here took out Ebisu sensei with one shot thanks to this."

"But isn't he a pervert?" Udon asked. Moegi took that moment to slap them both and said, "You two should talk! You're just as perverted as Ebisu is. And you're just as bad!"

Moegi pointed at Naruto accusingly. Irritated, Naruto redid the hand signs without uttering a word. No one was impervious to the Oiroke. At least as far as male shinobi were concerned but he never tried it on any females before. Well, except for the female shinobi of questionable orientation but that was irrelevant. What he was going to do was nothing new. An older, more attractive version of himself in the nude with carefully placed steam was all it would take.

As he transformed he placed his hands on his waist and turned to Moegi. For effect, he winked and smiled boyishly. Her face flushed and her gaze suddenly found the ground more interesting. She pushed her fore fingers together shyly and smiled back, "I...er..."

"Admit it!" Konohamaru laughed. Annoyed, Moegi spat back, "No way! This is completely different!"

"Sure it is," Konohamaru jeered sarcastically.

Satisfied with what he had seen, Naruto turned back and said, "Okay, Konohamaru! Try and transform into a beautiful woman. Remember, thin and slender."

"Right!" Konohamaru complied. He excitedly attempted the Oiroke jutsu again, releasing a cloud of smoke with the transformation. As the cloud dissipated, Naruto saw Konohamaru's pretty female face but the same male body. The only true difference was now the body was thinner and had a pair of breasts. Naruto nodded and said, "Okay that's a start. Keep working on it!"

"Alright," Konohamaru saluted happily. Naruto turned to Udon and said, "Your turn!"

"Yes sir!" Udon answered.

And so Naruto spent a good hour or two training them in the Oiroke. They did improve as the day went on, but Moegi made the most progress of them. She was able to get the Oiroke down in a matter of minutes while Konohamaru and Udon were still struggling to get it right. Now Moegi was practicing on perfecting the male variant of the Oiroke. He felt almost like a squad leader teaching genin as he watched them improve. He was practically proud of them. But his delight was overshadowed by his concern.

Haku still hadn't come back and the fourth person following them still hadn't appeared. The best case scenario consisted of Haku waiting in secrecy, waiting for the right moment to spring a trap. He feared the worst case scenario, where Haku was in trouble or was already dead. He preferred the best case scenario over the worst case. Or rather, he wanted the best case scenario over the worst case. But he didn't need to worry. Haku was trained by none other that Momochi Zabuza, the "Demon of the Mist". Whoever this fourth person was, Haku would definitely be able to fight them on equal terms. He just had to stick to the plan for the time being. He would wait for the fourth person to make his move and then Haku would spring the trap.

After some time, the three children fell to the ground tired and sort of breath. Udon was the first to comment, "I'm tired. Can we take a break?"

"Sure," Naruto answered. He was tired himself, considering how much chakra he had lost from the tree climbing exercise and performing the Oiroke. Now that he dwelled on it, his legs were shaking beneath him. Feeling light headed, Naruto let himself fall backwards and land promptly on his rear.

"Hey boss! Are you okay?" Konohamaru panted. Naruto nodded, "Yeah. I guess I'm just tired from my training."

"You mean that thing where you were running up the tree?" Konohamaru asked. Naruto nodded again, drawing in slow and deep breaths. Bewildered, Konohamaru asked, "What kind of training is it?"

"The training is supposed to improve my chakra control," Naruto answered, "Unlike you guys, I burn a lot of chakra when I perform a jutsu. But I have so much of it that I'm able to compensate subconsciously."

"Wow," was all Konohamaru could add. He lay down on grass beside Udon and Moegi. Together, the four of them stared up at the sky above silently before Konohamaru asked, "Hey boss. Do you know a Naruto in the Dewaya?"

"Huh?" Naruto asked, intrigued, "What are you talking about?"

"Well," Konohamaru began, "The other day, Udon, Moegi and I ran into these two genin. I think their names were Sakura and Hinata. Anyway, that Sakura girl was being real mean and she chased us down into an alley where we ran into these two Suna ninja. This really big ninja started bullying us, saying he was going to beat us all up but then this guy named Sasuke appeared and saved us. He fought that bully and almost lost until some yakuza showed up and saved him. The girl named Sakura said his name was Naruto, or something like that."

"What makes you think I would know?" Naruto asked. He was surprised Konohamaru hadn't made the connection yet, but happy all the time. If they didn't know that he was Naruto, then he would be safe for the time being. Konohamaru shrugged, "He was dressed in a black suit, like the ones those Dewaya wear. He had the tattoo and everything. So we thought you could help us."

"So you want to tell him thanks?" Naruto asked, confused. Hadn't they realized that he was Naruto? Or had they not made that connection yet? Either way, Naruto listened intently as Konohamaru gave his answer, "Well...kinda...the thing is, as soon as Naruto left, that Sakura girl got really mad and the other one sort of freaked out. We asked what was going on but..."

"...But?..." Naruto pressed.

"Sakura said that we didn't need to know," Konohamaru answered, "That we should just go play somewhere and forget about the whole thing. But I couldn't."

"Who could?" Moegi threw in, "Did you see the look on her face?"

"Who's face?" Naruto asked, growing intrigued. Konohamaru grew silent, swallowing a small lump before saying, "That Hinata girl...she wasn't angry like Sakura, but she wasn't sad either. Instead, she had this scary look on her face. The kind you see on a Buddha except it was angry."

"You mean scary," Moegi corrected, "She was smiling but it wasn't a happy smile. It even scared Sakura."

"So you want to ask him about that?" Naruto answered conclusively. Konohamaru nodded, "Yeah. Really, we just want to know who he is and why they got angry. So do you know he is?"

Naruto lowered his rice hat and carefully considered his options. He had to make sure his existence stayed a secret at any cost. First, he could tell them the truth and ask them to keep it a secret. But then he considered that it was all a well orchestrated trap to trick him into confessing. Besides, thus far their untrustworthiness was fairly untested. He could tell them a conditional truth, but they would probably press the matter until Naruto caved. If they went so far out to follow him all the way here, then there was no reason for them to back down.

He could also just not answer. But they would press him for one until he cracked. And that left the final option: He would tell a lie. He was good at it and they would believe any story he fed them as long as it was within reasonable grounds. Choosing his lie carefully, Naruto began to weave his lie, "Yeah, I know him."

"Do you know where he lives?" Konohamaru rolled onto his stomach, staring at Naruto. Naruto paused, carefully choosing his response, "There's this apartment he used to live in. But he left a long time ago and didn't leave a forwarding address. We don't know where he lives now, and he isn't an official member of the gang. He just shows up when he needs work and we give it to him."

"If he's not a member of the Dewaya, why does he dress up like one?" Konohamaru asked. Naruto smiled unevenly, "He thinks if he's going to align himself with anybody, it should be with people he trusts."

"Doesn't he trust the shinobi of the village?" Konohamaru asked. Naruto paused quietly, "He doesn't say. He keeps to himself a lot. Like I said, he only shows up when he needs work so we don't see a lot of him."

"You know a lot about him, don't you?" Konohamaru asked. Naruto nodded, "Let's just say: I've been in his shoes."

"You've worn his shoes?" Konohamaru misunderstood the saying. Naruto didn't answer, instead adjusting his rice hat so that his face couldn't be seen. Then the foreboding sense of danger returned. Drawing his katana, Naruto stood up on the other side of the three children and blocked four kunai in their tracks. This attack certainly answered several questions. Four kunai meant four targets. It meant the fourth person was trying to off Naruto and the Konohamaru Corps. Speaking of which, the "Konohamaru Corps" were on their feet instantly, drawing out their plastic kunai.

"Put that away," Naruto gritted between his teeth, "These are real kunai. Those plastic one's will get ripped apart."

"We aren't going to let you fight alone, boss," Konohamaru added cheerfully.

"This isn't a game Konohamaru," Naruto said, "You three stay behind me or else you'll get hurt."

Another barrage of kunai came at Naruto. This time, there must have been a hundred of them, coming at him from the surrounding foliage. There was no way he could block all of the incoming kunai by himself. Without a moment's hesitation, Naruto barked out the word, "RUN!"

They took off at full sprint, trying to get out of the way of the incoming attack. None of them dared look back to see where the kunai were coming from, let alone if they were still coming. They just wanted to get as much distance as they could between themselves and their attacker. As they dodged and weaved through the thick foliage of the forest, Naruto wondered where the hell Haku was.

Just then, Konohamaru gave out a loud yelp of pain. Naruto stopped in his tracks, turning to see Konohamaru face down on the ground with his foot tangled in an uplifted root. Four kunai were closing in on the poor boy. Without a second thought, Naruto drew _Kitsune_ and jumped in front of the boy. He parried the kunai in the air, and each fell to ground with a soft thump. Checking to be sure that there were no more kunai coming his way, Naruto lifted Konohamaru up and said, "Keep going."

"Konohamaru!" Moegi and Udon squealed frightfully. Naruto and Konohamaru looked up to find Moegi and Udon hanging from a tree branch. They struggled against the ropes that bound them to no avail. Standing above them was an ANBU wearing the standard combat gear with a broken mask. His wild hair was a wispy silver which covered the exposed side of his face.

"Scarecrow!" Naruto growled angrily, certain it was Kakashi on the other side of the mask. Scarecrow stared down at Naruto returning his greeting with, "You're a difficult kid to track down, you know that? Ever since you disappeared from the Sakurazaki Compound, I've followed every lead to find you. But I never thought I would find you here in Konoha with the Third's grandson of all people."

"Boss, who is that guy?" Konohamaru asked. Naruto lowered his katana in front of him, explaining, "Scarecrow. He's a member of Konoha's ANBU Black Ops who was ordered to kill me."

"Hey what did the boss ever do to you?" Konohamaru pointed accusingly. The ANBU chuckled and said, " The list has gotten long but: evading arrest, association with a Yakuza, bribery and blackmail, endangering the lives of Konoha's citizens, conspiracy to murder several of Konoha's ninja, conspiracy to murder several criminal figures, murder of several criminal figures, impersonating security officials, kidnapping, substance abuse, and illegal gambling."

"There's no way! You've got the wrong guy!" Konohamaru shouted in Naruto's defense. Naruto, on the other hand, wasn't so certain of that. On the contrary, some of that was true. He did smoke once, did dress up as a security guard to rescue the bridge builder's daughter, was responsible for the gang war between the Kitsune and the Watari, was a member of the Kuroihi, and did help work the gambling ring once. But was surprised him was that Scarecrow was well aware of it all.

The question on Naruto's mind, though, was how did he know all that.

"On the contrary, he is guilty of the crimes he's been charged and has been sentenced to the death penalty," Scarecrow said definitively, "Now, Uzumaki Naruto. DIE!"

A giant shuriken appeared into the Scarecrow's right hand, which he promptly hurled in Naruto's direction. Raising his katana and timing his attack, Naruto swung the blade down and knock the shuriken aside. Before it hit the ground, it transformed into Scarecrow who launched another barrage of kunai. Remembering his leaf training, Naruto raised the katana again and observed the kunai as they came in his direction. These kunai were no different from the leaves. Each had a fixed path that it could not divert from. All he had to do was parry the ones putting him and Konohamaru at risk.

He counted ten kunai, eight of which would hit him. If he swung too early, he would miss but if he swung too late it would hit. He also had to be careful with his aim and how much energy he put into the swing, otherwise he would hurt Konohamaru. Taking deep breaths to calm himself, Naruto saw the first one close in. With a careful swipe, he knocked it out of the air. The next two closed in, with little time to get them individually. Adjusting his katana, Naruto got them both by shielding himself from the attack. The fourth missed entirely. The fifth, sixth and seventh moved in for the kill. Doing what he could, Naruto was able to stop the fifth and sixth kunai but the seventh slipped passed and hit him in the left knee.

Naruto buckled from the pain, but couldn't let up now. Thankfully, the eighth kunai was also off target. The last two came in fast but Naruto was able to deflect them skillfully before he gave into the pain in his knee. He poked it and felt pain surge in his body. Disgruntled, Naruto extracted the blood stained kunai from his knee. Blood poured out of the open wound which he tried to stop by squeezing the open wound.

HISS!

Naruto looked to the ground for the source of the noise, only to see small pieces of paper at the end of the kunai he deflected. _Paper bombs,_ Naruto thought distressingly. There was no time for him or Konohamaru to get out of the way. He pulled Konohamaru close to himself and ran a series of hand signs, "Kawarimi no Jutsu!"

He turned his head to the side and spotted two nearby stones. _Perfect_, Naruto thought. Focusing as hard as he could, Naruto was able to switch the stones within himself and Konohamaru in time to hear the loud explosion. Moegi was the first to cry out, "KONOHAMARU!"

Naruto used his free hand to cover Konohamaru's mouth while using the other to keep pressure on his injured knee. He dragged himself and Konohamaru behind a nearby tree and whispered, "Keep quiet."

"YOU MEANIE! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT!" Moegi cried out angrily, her voice growing weak.

"Shut up," Scarecrow ordered bitterly, "They got away with a substitution. But they won't get that far. Not with his injured knee."

Moegi's quiet sniffs were the only noise for a while, but it didn't distract Naruto from all the pain in his leg. Disgruntled, Scarecrow added, "You two be good and wait here while I go find the boy."

There was a soft poof that signaled the shinobi's departure. Certain that Scarecrow was gone, Naruto sighed in quiet relief only to gasp in pain when he realized just how much pain his leg was in. All the while Konohamaru was dead quiet, looking at him in stunned disbelief, "You...you're Naruto?"

"Yes," Naruto said, having difficulty thinking straight from all the racing thoughts in his head.

If he hadn't been quick, he and Konohamaru would have died in the ensuing blast of the paper bombs. The addition of the throbbing pain in his leg didn't help him at all either. Then there was the question of how Scarecrow knew about all those activities Naruto had been up to. There was also the matter of rescuing Moegi and Udon without alerting Scarecrow. Before he could contemplate on what to do, Konohamaru asked, "Why didn't tell us? Why did you lie?"

"My own safety," Naruto explained, growing faint. Disheartened, Konohamaru asked, "Don't you trust us?"

"I've had my trust broken and my life endangered a lot, Konohamaru," Naruto answered, "After a while, it gets hard to trust others."

Unimpressed, Konohamaru self-righteously said, "That's still no reason to lie."

"Can we talk about this later?" Naruto pleaded, his head aching uncontrollably. Konohamaru nodded, "Fine, so what do we do?"

Naruto murmured back, "I don't know."

"We have to help Moegi and Udon," Konohamaru pointed out, "We need to help them."

"I know," Naruto answered, growing impatient.

"So what do we do?" Konohamaru asked quietly.

"I don't know!" Naruto snapped quietly at the boy, squeezing his knee even tighter. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Naruto said, "My knee is killing me Konohamaru. It'd be impossible to fight him on equal terms. We were already at a disadvantage before my knee got in this state. We can't get away either, not with my leg torn up."

"What about the Oiroke?" Konohamaru asked pleadingly. Naruto shot him a stupefied look, "Are you kidding?"

"It worked on Ebisu-sensei," Konohamaru answered sheepishly. Naruto patted the boy on the head and said, "Yeah, and I got lucky. It doesn't work on everyone Konohamaru."

"So then what do we do?" Konohamaru asked again for the umpteenth time. Naruto said, "We wait and watch."

As he said these words, a gentle mist began to accumulate in the woods. It grew thicker and thicker, shrouding the surrounding forest until nothing was visible. Soft foot steps approached his direction before coming to an abrupt stop.

"Naruto, are you alright?" Haku's voice asked weakly. Naruto whispered back, "Haku, where were you?"

"Ambush," Haku said, appearing beside him and Konohamaru. His torn clothes and sword covered in blood, although whether it was his own or someone else's was a mystery. The edges of his clothing were frayed, as if they had temporarily caught fire. Haku wore a tired look on his face, and knelt down beside Naruto, "An ANBU named Scarecrow. He caught me off guard and chased me into the forest. He was trying to separate us."

"Seriously? I was attacked by the same guy," Naruto said. Bewildered, Konohamaru asked, "Naruto, who is this?"

"This is Haku," Naruto introduced, "Haku, this is Konohamaru."

"Pleasure to meet you," Haku greeted with a frown. Konohamaru remained speechless, but Haku didn't waste time with greetings, instead asking, "What is he doing here?"

"He and his friends followed us," Naruto explained, "They were the three carrying the weight. Turned out to be box painted like a rock. Scarecrow ended up catching them. They're tied up in that tree over there. Konohamaru and I were planning a way to rescue them."

"It's probably a trap," Haku said. Naruto nodded, "That occurred to me. But we can't leave them there."

"Then you think there's something wrong as well?" Haku asked. Confused, Naruto questioned, "What do you mean?"

"ANBU never work alone for an assassination mission," Haku explained, "They work in teams of at least three to ensure the best probability for success. But Scarecrow works alone and shows no regard for Konoha's rules of combat. I don't think he's a shinobi for Konoha."

"Then what is he?" Naruto asked. Haku's face became grim and warning, "A rogue like Zabuza was. And he's probably using your two friends like bait to lure us out."

"But if he's a rogue, why does he want me dead?" Naruto asked.

"Rogues usually get hired for assassination jobs," Haku explained, "But he's going through too much trouble just for money. He probably did something that got him banished from the village and he thinks killing you will redeem his honor in Konoha's eyes."

"Do you really want to know?" Scarecrow's voice asked calmly. They all looked upwards to see Scarecrow standing upside down from an open tree branch, staring down at them as if it were the most casual thing in the world. Haku jumped up to his feet while Naruto struggled to get up, his knee still pouring out blood. Scarecrow snickered, "You got part of it right. I was banished from Konoha for getting my team killed during a routine escort mission. But you know what? I'm not trying to redeem myself in their eyes. Working free lance is much more fun and the client is offering twice what Konoha offered to put you out of the way."

"And the client is?" Haku asked. Scarecrow chuckled again, "Cute, but I think I'll keep that to myself. Here's a hint: It's a higher up in the Dewaya."

A higher up in the Dewaya? The first three names to cross his mind were Shinji, Miji and Yahiko. Miji was the most likely candidate since he was clearly still bitter about his uncle's murder. But Scarecrow had been contracted long before Miji's uncle died. So that left Shinji and Yahiko.

"So Boss Hashi was correct," Haku said suddenly. Naruto turned his head in Haku's direction. Did Boss Hashi know something about all this and was Haku in the loop. Naruto wanted to ask what Haku was talking about, but Haku was already whispering orders, "Naruto, go get Konohamaru's friends and get back to the stream. Follow it upstream about ten minutes. There's a safe-house there that you can use."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto questioned the surprising orders. Haku shook his head, "I'll explain later. Now go. I'll distract Scarecrow."

"But-"

"GO!" Haku hissed. Naruto grabbed Konohamaru's wrist and began to limp away. Scarecrow cursed angrily and a flurry of kunai began whizzing past Naruto. Konohamaru started protesting as they ran, "Hey! Where are we going! We can take this guy!"

Ignoring Konohamaru, Naruto started grabbing some of the kunai on the ground as they ran. There was a soft boom somewhere behind them, followed by a wave of broken kunai and tree splinters. They came to a stop at the base of the tree where Udon and Moegi were hanging fearfully.

"Konohamaru! What's going on?" Udon shouted, "We heard an explosion."

"That's what I'm trying to ask the boss but he won't tell me," Konohamaru said. Taking aim one at a time, Naruto threw the kunai skillfully and was able to cut the ropes. Udon and Moegi fell to the ground abruptly, followed by Naruto and Konohamaru untying their ropes. Once they were free, Naruto said, "Follow me."

"Boss, where are we going?" Konohamaru demanded again.

"A safe-house," Naruto answered. The Konohamaru Corps exchanged clueless expressions as they kept pace behind the limping Naruto. Explosions rocked behind them, along with tree splinters and kicked up dirt. A worried Konohamaru asked, "Will Haku be alright by himself?'

"He'll be fine," Naruto assured him, even though he himself was fret with worry, "Haku was trained by the Demon of the Mist Village. He can take whatever Scarecrow sends his way."

They arrived at the stream where they had been training earlier and followed it upstream as Haku instructed. They moved as fast as they could, especially with Naruto's limp which inhibited his speed. The remainder of the trip was quiet, save for the occasional explosion or crushing sound somewhere in the distance. Just as Haku said, no more than 10 minutes upstream was a wooden house overgrown by plants and dirt.

It was small, like the one in the Land of Waves, and covered in a fine layer of dust. Naruto approached it first, uncertain of its structural stability. Drawing his katana, he prodded the door which creaked open. He stepped into the dusty, single room which had only a refrigerator, table, sink and a rug. He becked the kids inside and closed the door behind them. The three kids sat down nervously on the rug. Konohamaru was the first to ask, "What now?"

"We wait," Naruto said.

"For Haku?" Konohamaru asked. Naruto nodded. Udon was the first to protest, "But we have to get home to our parents. We can't just stay here."

"You can go as soon Haku gets here and we can escort you to the village," Naruto said, "Now wait."

"But!"

"WAIT!" Naruto barked. Udon stepped back fearfully. Realizing what he had done, Naruto shook his head and apologetically added, "I'm sorry. I'm just worried."

And how could he not be? Haku was most certainly left to his doom. Why didn't he turn back and help? Well it was too late now. All he could do was wait here with the Konohamaru Corps until Haku got back. That is, if he got back.

.........

**Author's Notes: **Well, another chapter over and done with. In order to free up my schedule, the next update will come in 8 weeks on Friday, April 10th! If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	26. Betrayal

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as a cartoon by Viz Media. The Art of War is the published text of Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicates, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Notes: **Hey there folks. It's been a while hasn't it? I know this is a little behind schedule, but I'm spending Easter with the family and the commute from college is long. Thankfully, I've gotten a lot of groundwork done so updates will resume their 6 week schedule. Also, can you believe Naruto Shippuden recently? Hinata, Kakashi, Jiraiya, and the entire village? Who do you think Kishimoto-dono will write off next? Now, on to responding to reviews:

**Peter Kim: **All good questions and points. However, Haku's ending might not be what you expect.

**Eternal Thief: **I'm glad you decided to give Oyabun a second chance. However, you jumped the gun on Gamakichi's scroll as I wasn't planning on getting to that until this chapter.

**All Nightmare Long: **Wow, that's a lot. Thanks for reading and enjoying. You really should give The Sicilian a look, since that story inspired me to write Oyabun. But dammit! How did you figure out Scarecrow's identity? I went out of my way to make him unrecognizable! Was it the giant shuriken? It was the giant shuriken wasn't it.

**MysteryLaUgHiNgmaN: **Wow, you really hate the Sasuke don't you? For future reference, please keep in mind I hold no negative bias for any characters. Thanks.

And now, for the next chapter of Oyabun.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 26: Betrayal**

Haku leapt backwards, out of the way of yet another kunai-paper bomb. Scarecrow's tactics were certainly different from someone who was a disgraced ANBU. He was so close to Konoha, yet he was dismissive of the amount of noise he was creating. These explosions could probably be heard all the way in Konoha and certainly a scouting party was on its way. This put both of them under a great deal of risk as it was.

FWOOM!

Another explosion went off just short off his feet, setting his kimono aflame. He ripped the cloth off at his knees before the flame could burn his clothes off. He let loose a volley of senbon which Scarecrow deflected with a kunai. He took chase after Haku again, Haku taking care to trick the former ANBU into the trap he set up. Haku was going to fight fire with ice. Literally. He used the technique so often in his assassinations that it was practically second nature to him. All he needed was a good source of water to use the technique. He could use the mist he created, but there wasn't enough water present and it would take too much time to make the mist dense enough for his technique. This left the stream, but he couldn't go there with Naruto and the three children so close in tow. He would have to distract Scarecrow first while the four of them fled to the safe house.

And he had accomplished that already. By now, they should be at the safe house so it would be safe to lure Scarecrow to the stream. Turning around in mid jump, Haku rebounded off a tree branch and dove straight at Scarecrow with Zabuza's sword. Scarecrow panicked at the sight of Haku's attack and leapt out of Haku's way. Haku replaced Zabuza's sword and took off for the stream, making sure to stay at a distance within Scarecrow's sights while out of his attack. In two minutes, they arrived at the stream and Haku knew he had the advantage.

He took position on the opposite bank and turned to face his opponent confidently. Scarecrow tensed at the smile on Haku's face and scowled, "What are you so happy about?"

With a quick display of hand signs, Haku focused his chakra into the water and into the air. First, he cooled the air to freezing temperatures. Next, he began to mold the water in the stream, forcing it to rise up and form twenty-one sheets. Finally, he chilled it into sheets of ice and surrounded Scarecrow with it. Scarecrow gaped at Haku's technique dumbfounded, "What is this?"

"Makyo Hyosho," Haku said calmly, willing his chakra to merge his body into the crystalline mirror. Once inside, Haku saw his image repeat itself on every single sheet. Drawing his senbon needles, Haku taunted Scarecrow, "I should let you know, no one has survived this technique."

With that, Haku released his senbon needles before jumping into the next mirror and repeating the process. This was the fruit of his kekkei genkai, the ability to manipulate ice to mask the true nature of his attack, which made it more psychological than physical. The enemy wasn't being attacked from all directions; they just had to believe that was the case. He expected Scarecrow to drop dead after the initial attack. After all, Haku's aim was always precise and he knew the location of every pressure point in the human body. He memorized which ones would be fatal and which ones would cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure and block arteries. However, he did not anticipate Scarecrow's defensive counter, "Doton! Dochu Eigyo no Jutsu!"

Scarecrow disappeared into a cloud of smoke, successfully escaping Haku's technique. Haku cursed at his carelessness, knowing he should have expected this from a former ANBU Black Ops. There was no time for self-discipline, however, as Haku reminded himself that Scarecrow was now somewhere beneath him. This gave Scarecrow the element of surprise. Haku would have only a split second to react to whatever Scarecrow did next.

Haku rethought his attack strategy and stepped out of his mirrors. Once he was in the center of the mirrors, he remolded them into a thousand tiny needles that he sharpened at both ends. He learned this technique under Zabuza's tutelage. It was called the Sensatsu Suisho, literally the Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death. Normally, only the end facing the inside had to be sharpened since the technique was meant to trap the target from all directions. However, Haku didn't know where the target was or if he would appear outside the ring of needles. So by sharpening both ends, Haku ensured a flawless offense if attacked from outside and a perfect defense if attacked from inside.

Haku waited patiently for any sign of his opponent, anything that would give his position away. Something brushed through the trees, which Haku dismissed as a bird since he could only afford to use the Sensatsu once. Expending anymore chakra for anything other than a mizu bunshin would be suicide. His single chance in mind, Haku took a deep breath and calmed himself, becoming hypersensitive to his surroundings. He closed his eyes and listened closely for anything that offset the natural calm of the wildlife.

A breeze blew, rustling the leaves and shrouding the area with noise. When the wind died, he heard the stream flowing coolly behind him, splashing against the banks as small fish leapt out to avoid larger ones. Insects were at his feet, crawling around aimlessly to find sustenance. It was too quiet. Where were the other animals? What happened to chirping birds? It was as if they fled to safety in fear of a predator.

There was a steady shaking somewhere beneath him. Haku opened his eyes in panic and leapt into the air. He glanced down to see Scarecrow emerge from the ground with his right fist extended upwards. Haku triggered the trap and let the needles swarm on Scarecrow. The ANBU must have trained him to endure great strains of pain since Scarecrow did not utter a single sound when the needles ripped his body apart. Then again, he probably didn't have the time too. The needles went through every part of his body, cleaving flesh from bone and spraying blood everywhere.

Haku's feet finally touched the ground a few feet away from the dead assassin. He took a minute to catch a breath, relieved to see the fight finally draw its conclusion. Scarecrow may have been a former ANBU, but his tactics were reckless and suicidal at best. Still, Haku did enjoy the idea of defeating one of Konoha's own ANBU, even his skill level was around the rank of a chunin. That begged the question of the man's identity and how he had managed ANBU when he was such a poor combatant. Regardless, Haku wasn't going to pry over a dead man. He had to rendezvous with Naruto and explain the impending situation. Hopefully everything would be made clear afterwards. He went to follow the stream, walking at a slow pace.

WHIP!

THWIP!

TINK!

THUNK!

Four kunai whizzed passed his ear and landed at his feet to block his path. Haku paused, trying to make sense of what had happened despite how tired he was. Four ANBU appeared around him, each with their weapons at the ready. None of them bore slightest resemblance to Scarecrow, which meant they weren't Bunshin. Even more surprising Haku was unable to detect their presence suggesting they either just arrived or had been observing for some. Whatever the case, these ANBU must have been the real case given how easily they caught him off guard. And then a fifth, elderly man appeared among them dressed in black shinobi garb and a samurai helmet. The old man performed a series of hand signs, which produced a black seal beneath Haku.

Haku immediately felt his entire body constrain and stiffen. Haku considered using the last of his chakra to dispel the technique and try to fight his way out but decided against when he considered how badly the odds were against him. This was a lost battle.

"Who are you and why are you here?" The old man asked. Haku had little choice in the matter of his response, and politely lied, "My name is Haku, and I was gathering medicinal herbs when this ANBU attacked me."

"And why would you need medicinal herbs?" the lead ANBU asked, "Especially with all of those weapons on you?"

"Protection," Haku answered, "From men like this ANBU. He gave his name as Scarecrow."

"Scarecrow," the old man repeated, staring at the dead body, "Is there anyone in the ANBU with that codename?"

"There were several who used it when they were in service," the lead ANBU said, "But the body is too damaged to positively identify. We'll have the medical nin properly examine the body when we return to the village."

"Until we can clear this up Haku, you're under arrest for murder of a member the Konoha ANBU Black Ops," one of the ANBU said, "You will come with us for questioning."

"I understand," Haku complied. He raised his hands in the air for the ANBU to bind with ropes.

"Secure the body," the second ANBU barked. The two other ANBU proceeded to take whatever remains of the butchered body they could and carefully placed them inside a black bag with a red cross running along the top. The first ANBU then turned to Haku and produced a series of hand signs. His hand slapped his palm against Haku's forehead. Haku's only thoughts as his world faded into darkness was, _Be safe Naruto._

_............_

Naruto tapped his fingers on the table uneasily. An hour already went by and there was still no sign of Haku. The entire time, Naruto found himself speculating on what happened to Haku. The explosions ended some time ago, which suggested the fight was long over. However, Haku had yet to arrive which suggested he did not win. But Naruto refused to believe Haku had lost or was dead. He could never lose to Scarecrow, no matter what happened. Naruto concluded he was seriously injured and was struggling to get to the safe house but he couldn't leave to check. His leg was in no condition for it. He thought of sending the Konohamaru Corps to check, but a quick glance in their direction told him otherwise.

They were huddled together at the other end of the room, where Konohamaru explained everything to them. Naruto didn't want to pry, but they were in earshot and weren't being very quiet. It would also help him to occupy his mind with something other than worry for Haku's safety. Naruto listened intently to Konohamaru's explanation on Naruto's identity, then the string of events between Haku's arrival and Scarecrow's appearance, and ended with how Haku's plan was for them to wait here until he arrived.

From there they began speculating and making connections with the new given information. First, they noted how similar the ANBU was to another instructor at the Academy. Then, they began wondering where Haku was when they realized the explosions ended. Finally, they began wondering what they would do considering they knew Naruto's true identity. They grew quiet at the subject, speaking at barely a whisper.

Udon was the first to speak, saying, "Do you think he's going to...you know...now that we know who he is?"

"No way! Why would he do that?" Konohamaru asked, "It's not like he has anything against us."

"But he dressed up like he's trying to hide," Udon countered, "And he's always acting so secret. He even lied to us when he told us he didn't know the guy. That's gotta mean he doesn't want people to know who or where he is."

"What about that time in the alley? He did save us and he wasn't dressed up like he is now," Moegi answered. Udon was quick to point out, "Yeah, but he was wearing goggles like he was trying to hide his face and he did disappear as quickly as he showed up."

"What do you think, Konohamaru?" Moegi asked. They turned to small boy who sat with his arms crossed while wearing a look of deep concentration. As if he were carefully choosing his words, Konohamaru answered, "I trust the boss. He isn't going to hurt us because he would have done it by now if he wanted to. And if he hadn't beaten Ebisu-sensei that one day, I wouldn't have met you guys so I owe him at least that much."

"What happened to your sensei anyway?" Naruto chimed in without thinking, his attention completely torn away from the window. They stared at each other stupidly, no one daring to make eye contact or break the silence that had befallen the room. They must have been surprised to learn he was listening to them and in turn he was surprised that he asked the question from out of nowhere. With all the silence, Naruto was certain he wouldn't get an answer out of them. Especially since they were speculating on whether or not Naruto would hurt them. Giving up any hope for a response, Naruto returned his attention to gazing out the window for any sign of Haku.

"He withdrew from being my sensei," Konohamaru finally answered, "He was really embarrassed when the other jonin teachers found out he lost to a yakuza so he stopped being my sensei. The old man decided to send me to the academy after that."

"I'm sorry about that," Naruto said sheepishly, unsure of what else to say.

"Don't be," Konohamaru answered with feigned comfort, "I didn't like Ebisu-sensei anyway. And if you hadn't used the Oiroke on him, I wouldn't have met my friends: Moegi and Udon!"

Naruto remained silent in contemplation. By unwittingly attacking Konohamaru's sensei, he won over Konohamaru's loyalty. As he recalled from the Land of Waves, loyalty was not a bad thing to possess. In fact, it would be very useful if the worst came to fruition. Although he didn't realize it at the time, Naruto wore a smile on his face. He turned to face them, to be met by surprise and then smiles.

A moment of silence passed before Moegi asked, "Is there a bathroom…I have to go."

"Yeah…I do too," Udon added.

"Let me see," Naruto said, standing up. This safe house was built in a very similar manner to the one in the Land of Waves so he suspected a trap door was just below the rug. He shooed the three children off the rug and rolled it into a corner. Sure enough there was a trapdoor below. Naruto pushed the door aside and stepped into the darkness below. Running his hand along the wall, Naruto found a light switch and turned on the lights.

A light bulb flickered to life with a low hum, illuminating an otherwise disgusting hallway covered in a thick layer of moss and grime. It was very much like the underground bunker in the safe house from the Land of Waves, except there was no sign of any effort to maintain the site. The wall was littered with holes and gave off a wretched smell that burned the inside of Naruto's nostrils. He raised his hand over his mouth in disgust, and proceeded down the dirty hallway. He looked back at the three kids and said, "Wait there. I'll go check to see if it's safe."

With his first step forward, a swarm of cockroaches appeared at his feet and scurried around aimlessly before disappearing into the holes in the wall. Unnerved, Naruto proceeded further cautiously. He reminded himself that there was nothing to fear from bugs despite how many there were. He checked each of the rooms and found a bathroom, but in horrid condition. There was a dirty toilet and a roll of toilet paper but nothing more. No sink, no towels, no soap or anything in that manner. It was clear that this safe house had been completely abandoned by its previous occupants.

The smell was also surprisingly stronger here, too strong to be just the disused toilet. A quick look in the toilet told him there was no left over surprises from the previous occupants. This was both welcome and dreadful because it meant the smell was coming from somewhere else. Probably something more foul.

Intent on finding the source, Naruto closed the bathroom door and followed the smell further down the hall. It grew more unbearable and nauseating with each step he took forward and led him to the second to last door at the end of the hall. He examined the door carefully for any signs of a trap before pushing the door. It didn't budge. He tried again to no avail.

Then he laughed at himself and pulled the door open. However, the room was too dark to discern any cause for the smell and he couldn't find a light switch on any of the nearby walls. He ventured into the darkened room and stretched his arm out against the wall, following it casually. About a foot in, he tripped over some unforeseen obstacle and fell onto a pile of dust and slime. Whatever he fell into must have been the source of the smell because he received a mouthful of horrid odor and dust. He gagged and coughed to get it out of his mouth.

Placing his hand against the wall as a guide, Naruto lifted himself up and followed the wall around the room until his hand finally came to a rest on the light switch. He turned on the lights and just as quickly turned it off with a loud gasp. It wasn't a matter of the light bulb dying. It was a matter of what the light revealed.

Bodies.

Dead bodies scattered all through out the room. Some were dressed as members of the Kuroihi or the Enkou. Others better resembled farmers, peasants and shinobi whose bodies had been carelessly dumped onto the floor. There were no pools of dried blood, which suggested they had been killed elsewhere and dragged off. There was also a distinct difference in the state of decay for each body. Some were little more than clothes upon skeletons while others showed signs of decomposing flesh. One in particular that surprised was a bloated green body that wore the blood-soaked uniform of a medical nin. It occurred to Naruto that this could be the very medical nin who helped him not too long ago during Miji's rage.

Not wanting to linger, Naruto raced out of the room and slammed the door shut. It seemed the safe house had been abandoned with good reason. It was being used as the storehouse for dead bodies and Naruto just happened to find where all of the bodies were being stored. His breathing was fast and shallow, horrified by the scene he bore witness to.

"Naruto…what's going on down there?" Konohamaru called from upstairs. Taking deep breaths to calm himself down, Naruto walked back up the stairs to meet the children. They gave him worried looks, which he answered with dismissive calmness, "There's a bathroom down stairs. It smells bad but it's the only one here."

"Did something happen?" Moegi asked. Naruto shook his head and ushered them downstairs, "No. Come on, I'll show you the bathroom."

"Oh…okay," Moegi followed him down first, followed by Konohamaru and Udon. Naruto led them to the bathroom and let Moegi in first. She complained from within, "Ew! It's gross in here!"

"It can't be helped," Naruto said back, "Hurry up so Udon can use it too."

"But it smells funny," Moegi whined from inside.

"Can you hurry up? I have to go too!" was Udon reply. Inside, there was a loud clack followed by a flush. Moegi apparently decided to do her business despite the condition of the bathroom. Naruto could understand her sentiments and felt she was the better man since she had to sit on the toilet to do her business.

"Hey Naruto, what is this?" Konohamaru asked.

"A bunker beneath the safe house," he explained, "The Kuroihi used them during the last Shinobi War as a hide out from shinobi and other clans."

He decided to neglect telling them of the safe house's conversion into a storage house for the dead bodies. It would probably be better if they didn't know there was a morgue just a few door down. Moegi opened the door to the bathroom as a second flush went off inside. Udon rushed in afterwards and slammed the door shut. She wore a disgusted look on her face, clearly bothered by the poor cleanliness of the bathroom. Udon emerged from inside immediately, having done his business faster than Moegi.

"What about you?" Naruto asked Konohamaru.

"I'm fine," Konohamaru answered. Naruto hurried them back upstairs and hid the trap door under the rug. A quick glance outside the window showed the sun beginning to sink in the horizon. He would have to get these three home soon if he didn't want to make things more complicated. A missing Hokage's grandson would certainly earn some attention from Konoha's higher-ranking shinobi. He didn't want the ire of the Third Hokage on himself when he already had someone in Dewaya for that.

"Grab your things," Naruto told them, "We're going back to Konoha."

"But what about Haku?" Konohamaru pressed. Naruto shook his head, "I don't know. It's been quiet for a while so they've either taken their fight elsewhere or one of them won."

"But Haku's not here yet," Konohamaru noted, "Do you think he's-"

"SHUT UP!" Naruto barked at the little boy, who jumped back in surprise. Naruto stormed outside so that he wouldn't have to hear anymore of that talk. He refused to believe Haku was dead. He couldn't be. Naruto ran a hand through his blonde hair and took a deep breath. He went to get the kids to find them waiting behind him.

"Naruto," Konohamaru said apologetically, "I didn't mean what I said…I just…"

"Forget about it," Naruto stopped him, "Let's just go."

He took the lead among them and started heading back for Konoha. He had never really explored the outside of the village so this territory was mostly unfamiliar to him. However, He was certain they could find some point of navigation ahead if they followed the stream back the way they came.

The further they got from the safe house, the more debris they saw litter the forest. Splintered and burnt shreds of wood were scattered all around them, mixed with the bloody remains of various wildlife. Moegi clung close to Konohamaru when she saw the carcasses of the deceased. Konohamaru and Udon were just as unnerved by the number of dead as Moegi, albeit they were doing a better job of hiding it. Naruto shuddered to think how they would have reacted if they had seen all the dead bodies in the safe house. Or rather, the graveyard. It bothered him to think of all those bodies that were just dumped there and forgotten. No, it wasn't a graveyard.

It was a mass grave.

Naruto didn't want to dwell on the subject anymore and kept walking. He still had to figure out how to get back to Konoha. As he continued, he realized his leg was no longer hurting. A brief glance at his knee showed a woundless leg. As if the wound was never there. Even the blood was gone. It certainly was a miracle in itself.

They wandered the ruins of the forest for the better part of 15 minutes before they came across a field of ruin. The children were awestruck by the destruction, running forward into the destruction. Konohamaru was the first to remark, "Whoa! How did two shinobi cause this?"

Konohamaru was right to be ask. It ran some distance in a straight line from the stream to the forest, as if a trail of fire burned straight through and left nothing but barren land. The trees apparently burned all the way down to their roots as there was no trace of them. It was as if all the life had been robbed from this area, leaving nothing but barren land. Several columns of smoke spiraled into the sky to disappear.

By the stream was a large, crystalline structure made of ice that spiked out in all directions. It was soaked in a dried layer of blood, torn cloth and shattered armor. It couldn't have been Haku because he didn't wear armor, at least as far as he knew.

"Do you think this was Haku?" Konohamaru asked. Naruto frowned, "No. Haku doesn't wear armor."

"But there's no body," Udon pointed out, "How would we know?"

Udon was right and it horrified Naruto to think Haku's body disappeared in the fighting. He knew better than to underestimate his friend because Haku was too skilled to suffer that fate. But he couldn't escape the haunting feeling in the back of his mind that told him otherwise. Hoping to prove this voice wrong, Naruto started walking down the scorched clearing.

He proceeded halfway down and found no sign of Haku, which he took as a good sign to press further on. He would prove to himself that Haku was alright and he had no reason. He assured himself Haku probably took off for the safe house but got lost. All hope for that possibility faded when he spotted a torn piece of pink cloth whose edges were burnt.

A burnt part of Haku's kimono, which scared Naruto into thinking Haku burned alive. Did his body turn into ashes and disappear with a gust of wind? Scarecrow's favorite attack was throwing around the kunai with exploding tags recklessly. But the site was too destroyed for him to know. Over come with horror, Naruto sank to his knees and retrieved the cloth.

"Hey Naruto, What is that?" Konohamaru asked, appearing at his side.

Naruto couldn't find his voice. He was too upset by this clear sign. He held back his tears and reminded himself the children need to return to Konoha. He would mourn Haku another time. He pocketed the cloth and rose to his feet.

"Naruto?" Konohamaru asked again. Naruto wiped his eyes and said, "Come on."

They were at the site of the fighting so, if Naruto was right, then the village was about a half hour's walk away. That was assuming this was the site where Naruto had trained the others in the Oiroke. He would just have to wait and see.

…………

Much to Naruto's relief, the village wall became visible after a forty-five minute trek through the woods. A little bit longer than he expected, but it was there all the same. They proceeded around to follow the wall down to the main gate where they met a small unit of ten shinobi and three hounds. Security had been beefed up since he and Haku left. It unnerved him to know he would need to clear the guards before any of them could enter the village. Thankfully, the Dewaya had plenty of contacts inside Konoha's ranks so one of them was sure to be an inside man.

Appearances said otherwise though. The Dewaya marked themselves with a dragon tattoo on their neck. But no one inside Konoha's elite shinobi force would dare advertise the symbol and he couldn't flash his tattoo without causing trouble. He would need to use one of the Dewaya's other symbols.

With the children in front, they stepped onto the road and approached the main gate. The guards stopped them and questioned Naruto first, "Name, country of origin and purpose for coming to the village?"

Naruto ran a finger along his collar and lied, "Bun Ko Ya, from the Land of Cherry Blossom Resting Chairs, here to see the Chunin Exams."

"I've never heard of the Land of Cherry Blossom Resting Chairs," the jonin replied. His glance shifted away from Naruto for a second and asked, "What exactly are you doing with the grandson of the Third?"

"Hmm?" Naruto looked down at Konohamaru and felt a pang of stupidity. Thinking quickly but maintaining his composure, he said, "I found them wandering around in the forest. They said they got lost and were looking for a way back to the village."

"You're lying," the jonin said with a mix of satisfaction and disgust, "Poorly I might add. The third's grandson has been in the Academy all day, not wandering the forest outside the village. If he went missing, we would have gotten a report. Besides, anyone with half a brain knows the Third's grandkid wouldn't go around wearing anything that stupid."

"HEY!" Konohamaru shot angrily, held back from beating the shinobi by Udon and Moegi. Naruto couldn't blame the jonin. He never seriously gave it much thought in the past, but Konohamaru was dressed peculiarly. The safety helmet didn't do him any favors and the extravagantly long scarf was just ridiculous. Still, Naruto had to come up with something quick to support his story. Thoughts raced through his mind, each with a varying degree of believability.

Fate must have smiled on him that day. Before Naruto could produce a believable explanation, an out of breath shinobi appeared, "Sir! There's a report for you from the Third Hokage sir!"

"What is it?" the jonin barked angrily, to which the shinobi answered, "It's the Third's grandson! He and his friends snuck off from the Academy again. The Third wants all sentries, and especially the gate guards, to keep an eye out for them."

The jonin questioning Naruto stood dumb struck, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. He turned on Naruto angrily and asked, "How do we know he's really the Third's grandson?"

"Ask him yourself," Naruto said, stepping aside to let Konohamaru forward. The jonin ran his hands along his chin, "Okay…if you're really the Third's grandson, then what is your clan's name?"

"The Sarutobi Clan," Konohamaru answered. The shinobi grinned, "Good, but that question was too easy. Tell me, who is your uncle and what does he do?"

"Sarutobi Asuma," Konohamaru said before pausing quietly. He scratched the back of his head and said to himself, "Hmm…what does he do…Well, he hangs out with this one lady a lot lately. I think her name was Kurenai…He's a jounin for the village…he also smokes a lot. Lets see, what else…Oh! He also likes to go into this book store with this white haired guy in a mask and they start buying magazines with pictures of naked women on them!"

"Er," the jonin was dumbstruck again, as were Naruto and everyone within earshot. Konohamaru just ruined his Uncle's credibility as a jonin for the village without knowing it. To break the awkward silence, the jonin faked a cough and said, "Okay…you and your friends check out. Okay, Mr. Bun, can we see a passport or any documentation that can prove your identity."

Now Naruto was certain he had lost. He didn't have any papers, except for ryou bills. He was sure he couldn't bribe his way past this situation. He was cornered with nothing left to do.

"Let me have a look at him," another jonin said, pushing the other shinobi aside. He leaned down to Naruto's level and whispered, "Do you know Boss Dewaya?"

"Yes," Naruto whispered, certain he knew who this shinobi was. The shinobi asked, "Then you know the superordinate?"

"Hashi-sensei," Naruto answered. The shinobi frowned, "Sensei?"

"He was my kenjutsu instructor, Naruto answered. The shinobi nodded, and returned to his comrades, "He's clean. Let him through."

"But," the other jonin tried to stop him.

"Come on! He's just another tourist from the Land of Bear Claws," the jonin said, "Let him through."

"What…but he said the Land of Cherry Blosso-"

"You're hearing must be going bad," the other jonin countered. He looked back at Naruto and replied, "What are you doing? Get out of here!"

The jonin ran a finger along his collar and gave a small smirk. Naruto took the cue and hurried the three children along. That was one of the few signals implemented by members of the Dewaya around authority or members of the rival clans. The signal was implemented to mean 'Help' or 'In Disguise', informing nearby clansmen to rush to their friend's aid. As for the faux name and country, it was meant to sound like total gibberish to anyone outside the clan. If each part was broken down, Bun Ko Ya meant OyaBUN YahiKO of the DewaYA, which was known only to members because only they learned his name. Of course, anyone could have cracked the code so the second part was added as a fail-safe: The Land of Cherry Blossom Resting Chairs was translated as Sakurazaki, the superordinate clan over the Dewaya. Anyone outside the Kuroihi would have been unable to trace the Dewaya's superordinate.

Naruto was just grateful that someone was there though. If there weren't, Naruto would have to hope they were all dirty enough to bribe. But even that was unlikely. Luck was definitely on his side today. Or at least for the moment. Haku was still missing and someone inside the Dewaya wanted him dead. How he would resolve both still escaped him but he would definitely think of something. For now, returning these three was the main priority.

They dropped off Moegi first because her house was closest, followed by Udon who was promptly given a scolding by his mother. Naruto decided to escort Konohamaru only to within a block of his house. He didn't want to be seen anywhere near the house of the Third's grandson or else he would get himself into more trouble.

Afterwards he proceeded to wander the village while he considered his options. He could return to the office and pretend nothing happened. But how would he explain Haku's disappearance? He could bring the situation to Yahiko's attention and explain everything from Haku's disappearance to Scarecrow's assassination mission, but what if Yahiko was the one who wanted Naruto dead? He would be walking into a death trap. He could go look for outside help but who could he turn to in a village that had marked him for death? He could always go to Iruka, but he didn't want to burden Iruka with the knowledge he was alive the whole time.

The first option was clearly the least dangerous. He would return to the Dewaya Office and pretend nothing happened. He would sneak out his things to his old apartment so he could use it as a base of operations. Then he would tell Yahiko what happened. First, he would have to make sure no one moved into his old abode while he was out. With his plan laid out, he set off for his apartment.

……………

_In accordance with Article 24 of the Konohagakure no Sato's Securities Act, the occupant of this apartment has been detained for affiliation with a known yakuza. The Occupant will be taken to a classified location and will be returned once innocence is proven._

_- Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato_

Naruto ripped the paper off the door and crumpled it into a ball. He tossed it over his shoulder and ventured inside. There was a fine layer of dust on his furniture and signs mice or rats were now occupying the abode. The room smelled horrible from being uncleaned for so long, or because the food in his fridge and pantry finally spoiled. Worried for his supply of ramen, Naruto dashed straight to the pantry and threw the cabinet open. To his dismay, most of the Styrofoam ramen containers had been chewed through and the contents scattered around. Even the plastic ramen packages, meant to be cooked in a pot of boiling water, were reduced to crumpled wrappers whose contents littered the floor. It was a heavy loss for Naruto, but he would clean it and buy more later. He just wished the vermin spared his stockpile of double beef and egg ramen.

Grabbing the contents of the pantry, Naruto threw them into a garbage bin and proceeded into the bathroom. He flushed the toilet, turned on the sink and bathtub to find all of the water was still flowing. That was good news for him. He went on to turn on every light switch to find the electricity still worked as well.

Naruto was convinced this would be the perfect place to operate from. Now it was just a manner of cleaning everything. He grabbed a pail and a towel from the bathroom and went to work.

……………

Hinata's breath was heavy and fast. Her heart pounded rapidly against her chest. What exactly was she supposed to do? First, a madman named Orochimaru attacked their team from out of nowhere only to render Sasuke unconscious. Then Sakura, fret with anger, tried to take Orochimaru head on only to be cast aside and almost killed. Hinata did everything she could to care for them, even going as far to set up a defense perimeter in case any of the other teams attacked them in their state.

But a genin team from Otogakure penetrated the perimeter with intent to kill Sasuke. Hinata didn't know why they were so focused on him though. What exactly made his death so important? Whatever the case, Sasuke was a friend and a team mate. She couldn't let him die because it would disqualify her.

She took up her clan's fighting style, the juken, placing both hands forward with her byakugan activated. She counted three of them with peculiar chakra flow. Specifically, one's chakra was diverted mostly to his hands while another to the strange device on his arm. The girl was the only one with a normal chakra flow, but she was certain something was up her sleeve.

"Zankuha!" one of the boys shouted, thrusting his arms forward. Hinata watched the chakra build up in his arms before a large blast of it came right at her. She jumped out of the way of the blast and rushed in on them. She was at a disadvantage if they used ranged attacks, so she would have to keep the gap closed on them at all times.

As she closed in on the boy, she saw the girl dive in on her from above through her byakugan. Thinking on her feet, Hinata stopped in her tracks and raised her arms defensively. The girl was armed with senbon needles between her fingers. She punched forward, but Hinata blocked her fist with one hand and moved her free arm forward. Channeling her chakra, Hinata was able to strike the chakra points at both her shoulders.

If she was able to disable their ability to use ranged attacks, she would hold the advantage because it would force them to fight in close range combat. They would have to fight her on her terms, giving her the advantage she needed.

"What are you?" the girl shrieked in pain. She fell on the ground, unable to lift her arms to catch herself. She struggled to her feet with the help of the masked boy, "Kin, What happened?"

"I don't know," Kin scowled, "But my arms! I can't feel them!"

"What did you do to Kin?" the boy without a mask asked. Hinata refused to respond and rushed forward with her arms drawn behind her. She saw a large build up of chakra in the boy's arms and immediately began a set of hand signs. Another wave of chakra shot forward, "Zankuha!"

"Kawarimi no Jutsu!" Hinata said. She swapped places with a nearby log and pressed her charge forward.

"Kyomeisen!" the masked boy cried. Another blast of chakra came at Hinata from the side, forcing her to leap backwards to avoid it. To Hinata's surprise, the blast of chakra changed course and shot straight at her. This time, she leapt straight into the air to get out the way only to find the wave of chakra turn after her. She had walked into this trap; there was no way for her to change her course mid air. With no way to avoid the inevitable, Hinata brought her arms forward and curled herself into a ball to lighten the damage.

The impact was made and Hinata was thrown backwards against a tree. She scrambled back to her feet, despite the pain that coursed through her body. There didn't seem to be any particular damage aside from a little pain. She could fight through that, or at least she thought before her ears popped and a wave of nausea over took her. She sank back to her knees, feeling her stomach churn inside as something traveled up her chest. Before she knew it, she was throwing up on the forest floor.

"Zaku, finish this," the masked boy grunted, "Then we take care of the other two."

Zaku pressed towards Hinata with a kunai knife in hand. Hinata tried to fight the nausea, but the dizziness and pounding of her heart against her chest was too much. Coupled with the loud ringing in her ears, Hinata could barely make out what was going on around her. She was able to see Zaku draw closer towards her, only to step backwards from someone in a green spandex with a red belt.

"Oh great, now what?" Zaku remarked at the new arrival.

"I am Rock Lee, Konoha's Savage Green Beast," Lee proclaimed to them. Hinata, backing herself against a tree to help support herself, asked, "What are you doing here, Lee?"

"Do not misunderstand me," Lee said to her, his attention still focused on the Oto genin, "I am not rescuing you. I am rescuing the lovely Haruno Sakura, whom I will ask to be my girlfriend."

How could Hinata have forgotten Lee's display two days ago when he asked Sakura out? Not to mention how badly Sakura obsessed over it, not with enamor but disgust. She reviled Lee mostly for his appearance, which she felt was outright ridiculous even for a shinobi. Lee challenged Sasuke to a fight, but before a winner was determined his sensei arrived and broke up the fighting. However, it was blatantly obvious Lee was the winner because he was able to walk away unscathed by the fighting.

Hinata was glad to see Lee's arrival since he would succeed where she failed. But he had a similar disadvantage to her, he was limited to close attacks while they operated on range. She offered her warning, "Lee, be careful. They fight using chakra to manipulate sound. You'll need to get close to fight them."

"Very well," was all Lee said before he took off at blinding speed.

…………

Naruto breathed a sign of relief and admired his handiwork. It wasn't bad given he did it in under an hour. Satisfied, he turned everything off and stepped outside. He went straight to the office in Purgatorio and ran through his plan in his head. He would play things cool and pretended nothing happened for the time being. Once everything was set up in his apartment, he would go tell Yahiko about everything. His reaction would tell Naruto whether or not Yahiko was one who wanted him dead.

Naruto waltzed into the Dewaya office without uttering a word. Yahiko's secretary was busy behind her desk filling out more paperwork while two guests waited in the lounge. Naruto was certain one of them was the tattoo artist who did his tattoo, although he couldn't remember the name. He proceeded into the back and walked upstairs to the four-bed bedroom, where he found Hana reading a magazine quietly. She looked up at him and frowned, "Hello."

"Hey," Naruto replied before going to his drawer. He scrounged its contents for fresh pairs of clothes and through them into his travel bag.

"Going somewhere?" Hana asked quietly.

"Laundry," he lied. He noted how frequently he had done that today. Once he had seven pairs of clothes packed, he zipped up the bag and headed for the door only to be stopped by Hana, "You're going to wash seven pairs of clean clothes?"

"Sure, why not? I have cash to burn," Naruto told her. Hana did not appear amused, "Wherever you're going, I want to go too."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Naruto answered. Hana gave him an unimpressed look and pushed him backwards against the wall. She was amazingly stronger than she appeared, pinning Naruto against the wall without much ability to move. With a serious tone, she said, "I've been around enough of daddy's lap dogs to know what they're doing at a glance. You're planning on running away from this place, aren't you?"

"I never said I was," Naruto answered evasively. Hana smirked, "Naru….Naru, Naru, Naru. Here's how this will play out: You will either let me come with you, or we can go tell Hiko what you're up to. Which one do you think I'm liking more at the moment?

Naruto swallowed a lump in his throat. For such a beautiful woman, she sure knew how to play her cards. As the saying goes 'Every rose has its thorns'. Naruto, annoyed by his predicament, he asked, "What's in it for you?"

"I get out of this dump," Hana said, "It's boring since Hiko won't let me wander the village outside of the Western shopping district. And he always makes me bring four body guards to be safe."

"So you want some freedom," Naruto asked. Hana smirked, "It's a word like that, yes."

"Couldn't you bribe one of the other guys to do this?" Naruto asked. Hana smirk shrank, "I could. But I like you better. You remind me of someone."

"Who? Kei?" Naruto asked mockingly. Hana's smile faded into an amused scowl, "No…and yes. Now drop it and bring me along."

"What choice do I have?" Naruto asked no one in particular. Hana let him go and began placing clothes in a bag. Since he had some extra time, Naruto decided to start throwing more clothes into his bag. He wasn't too concerned about separating the clean from the dirty clothes. As long as he had something to wear he would be fine.

As he dug through the mountain of clothes, he found an odd scroll lying at the bottom of the drawer. He remembered the scroll instantaneously, surprised he forgot all about it. Gamakichi gave this to him in exchange for helping him in the Land of Waves. He pocketed the scroll and closed his bag.

"Okay," Hana said, ready to go with a large bag over her shoulder. The proceeded down the stairs to leave through the back door only to encounter a tired Yahiko at the bottom. He absent mindedly greeted, "Hello."

"Uh…hey, Hiko," Hana replied. Yahiko ignored her and disappeared into his office, almost zombie like. They sneaked out the back door and traveled back to his apartment. When they arrived, Hana first words were, "What a dump."

"Where have I heard that before?" Naruto replied, remembering Gamakichi's words when they arrived at the Land of Waves. Hana dropped her bag onto the floor jumped into the bed.

"Hey, that's my bed," Naruto pointed out. Hana ignored him and said, "I call dibs."

"What?"

"Dibs, I call dibs," Hana said, "This is my bed now. Dibs."

"You can't do that," Naruto said, to which Hana answered, "Daddy, Naru was being mean!"

"Okay, you can do that," Naruto corrected himself, growing annoyed by heruse of daddy as an excuse. What really surprised him was Hana's peculiar behavior. She seemed so nice at first but was really very annoying. Maybe she was just upset about the weight she gained? How would he know? He didn't understand how a woman's mind works.

He had more important matters to attend to at the moment. He emptied his bag of its contents and returned to the Dewaya Office to get more of his things. He reentered through the back door so no one would notice his return and retreated to the room upstairs to get more things. He packed some towels, some of his toiletries and his goggles. He noted Haku's drawers were still full. He considered bringing some of Haku's things but considered why he should bother? After some internal conflict, Naruto reached inside Haku's drawer and retrieved the fox mask from inside.

He returned to the apartment and found the bed empty. From the bathroom, he could hear the shower running. A surprise given the bathroom hadn't been cleaned in a long time. He wasn't going to complain though, unless Hana complained to him for not cleaning the place properly.

He wasn't going to wait around for such a scolding, though. He set the bag down beside Hana's bag and left the apartment. As he returned to the Dewaya Office, he wondered to himself if he wanted to incur the repercussions of bringing this information to Yahiko. Scarecrow said the enemy was a higher up in the Dewaya. But which higher-up was it?

The streetlights began to flicker to life as the sun disappeared in the horizon. Naruto hurried himself to the Dewaya Office and walked into the front door. Despite the hour, Yahiko's secretary was still at the front desk with her head resting quietly between her arms. Apparently she fell asleep while working and Naruto didn't want to bother her so he tiptoed quietly to the back. He knocked on Yahiko's door but received no reply. He knocked again, but still no reply, "Oyabun?"

There was no reply. Naruto opened the door and saw Yahiko examining a scroll's carefully. He glanced at Naruto and smirked, "Hey Naruto. What's up?"

"I wanted to talk," Naruto said. Yahiko nodded and motioned for Naruto to pull up a chair, "Sure thing. Just let me sign this scroll."

Naruto took a seat in front of Yahiko while he signed the scroll and rolled it up. Yahiko folded his hands together and leaned on his desk, "So what's on your mind? Is Miji giving you trouble again?"

Naruto recalled Miji's punishment: two fingers and taking care of his grand nephew. Naruto didn't want to cause more trouble for the poor man and said, "No. I haven't seen him all day. Actually I wanted to talk about something else. Haku and I went to train in the forest outside the village but a konoha ANBU attacked us. He said someone inside the Dewaya wanted me dead. Do you know anyth-"

"I already know Naruto," Yahiko stopped him, "A contact inside Konoha's Security Corps informed me of a new prisoner who was brought in. Apparently, his name is Haku and he was brought in for supposedly killing an ANBU. I was just signing the scroll so our contacts would take care of Haku and dispose of Scarecrow's body."

"Oh," Naruto held his breath. Yahiko already knew so informing was a moot point. So what was he supposed to do next? Yahiko was already taking care of the situation. But something occurred to Naruto. How did Yahiko know the ANBU's name? Naruto didn't mention it. Maybe he was over analyzing the situation. After all, the contact inside Konoha's Interrogation Corps could have informed him in the note. Yahiko was certainly higher up the scale now.

"Anyway, can you take this scroll back to the tea shop Moto runs?" Yahiko asked, as he tied a string around the scroll and handed it to the blonde.

"Do you mean the guy who did my tattoo?" Naruto asked. Yahiko nodded, "Yep. He's the middleman for my contact. Just drop it off and report back here."

"Okay sure," Naruto rose from his chair, bowed respectfully to his boss and left. He went out into the street, and traveled down to the teashop. He hadn't been there in some time so he decided to scan each building one at a time until he found it. Since this would take a while, he decided to take a peek at the note. He was just going to prove to himself Yahiko wasn't the one who wanted him dead. He pulled the string off and unfurled the scroll to examine its contents.

It was hard to read because the sun now completely disappeared. Naruto moved to a nearby store, holding the scroll up to the light to read it.

_Boss_

_Some ANBU and the hokage returned from a patrol outside the village. I'm not sure why they were out, but they brought in that assassin you hired._

Naruto blinked in disbelief. He assured himself reading on would reveal everything so he continued.

…_they were out, but they brought in that assassin you hired. I think his name was Haku. Anyway, a butchered body was brought in with him. They're taking it to the medical nin to be identified. I'm sure it was Mizuki, because the body was wearing that broken mask. During interrogation, Haku began mentioning the politics. He didn't say anything definite but he kept hinting at you know what. He's currently being kept in a holding cell._

_We're all going to be in a lot of trouble if they start figuring things out. What do you want to do?_

_- Jiga_

_Jiga_

_I want both of them taken care of. Poison his food, suffocate him in his sleep, pay off some inmates to kill him, I don't care. Make sure Haku is silenced. As for Mizuki, or Scarecrow or whatever he's calling himself, destroy the body and make sure there is no evidence left. We've come too far to mess this up._

Naruto stopped reading the document. Yahiko ordered Haku's death and Naruto was holding the death certificate. He couldn't hand this over. Haku's blood would be on his hands. As Naruto unfurled the scroll, he found more orders.

… _to mess this up._

_Don't forget to station only chunin and low rank jonin along the village walls during the final test of the Chunin Exam, specifically the western and southern wall. We don't want to betray our affiliate's support now that we're so close. _

_I'll take care of Hashi's new favorite. He's more valuable alive than dead._

_Yahiko_

Naruto furled up the scroll. He didn't want to make any conclusions about who Hashi's favorite was, but now he was certain. Yahiko was the one who hired Scarecrow. Yahiko was the one who tried to kill him. Naruto hid the scroll and hid it in his cloak. He knew what he had to do.

Haku was in Konoha's Interrogation Facility. He would have to break into Konoha's Hokage Tower and rescue Haku. It would be dangerous but if he didn't do what he was planning to do, Haku would be killed. Naruto set off down the darkened street, towards the Hokage Tower.

…………

**Author's Notes: **Well, another chapter over and done with. Updates will continue on the normal 6 week schedule. The next update will be on Friday, May 22nd! If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	27. Sepukku

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as a cartoon by Viz Media. The Art of War is the published text of Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicates, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Notes: **Hey-oh! Well, schools over and summer has started. Unfortunately, so has work. 40 hour work weeks are not as fun as I thought the would be, but moving on! I am loaded with work and didn't get as much time I would have liked to work on this chapter. None the less, I hope you enjoy. Now on to review responses:

**PeterKim: **If only you knew how deep the rabbit hole goes. Also, I never said I would kill Sasuke. Just that it was a possibility.

**Dark Ravie: **Look forward no more, for here it is.

**Lexor: **Who says or? Maybe it'll be both.

**Fritter: **Which is what'll make the next part even better.

**All Nightmare Long: **Damn. I knew I made it too obvious.

**Vincent56926: **If it's any consolation, she came in a very close second.

**Shadow Sensei: **Thanks. Also, I really wish so much of your speculation wasn't right.

**SilentWhistle: **Oh ye of little imagination. It's time to stop living in this black and white world of yours and time to accept the harsh grays of reality. Believe me, there is a lot more going on than the first chapter is giving away. You'll just have to read through to find out.

And now I present the continuation of Oyabun:

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 27: Sepukku**

"LEE!" Hinata shouted out in despair. The Taijutsu user fell from the treetops, severely injured by a blast of wind that shot him straight down. The ground shook on impact, as the blast tunneled five feet into the ground. Lee howled in pain before his voice gave out and the wind bullet disappeared. Fearing the worst, Hinata ran for the crater to see the bloodied and bruised Lee lying face down.

She wanted to rush down and help him, but the two sound shinobi were already dashing straight for her. The one named Dosu was the first to close the gap, raising the weapon in his arm to Hinata's face. Hinata's byakugan revealed the mass of chakra building up inside the weapon. Hinata raised her arms up to shield herself, only to be thrown several feet back into a tree behind her. She sank to the ground with a resounding thud, struggling to rise back to her feet.

"These Konoha ninja are all pushovers," Zaku gloated, "We took two of them out, no problem!"

"Speak for yourself! I still can't feel your arms!" Kin answered, to which Zaku frowned. Dosu nodded and lifted Hinata up by her hair, "How do we fix Kin's arms."

Hinata grunted quietly, groaning through the pain, "I don't know."

Of course, it was a lie. After all, all the Hyuga knew how to use the juken and how to affect the chakra points scattered throughout one's body. It was more advantageous to leave Kin's arms paralyzed, so on the off chance Hinata and her team didn't make it then at least their team might get disqualified. Zaku didn't take this too kindly, grunting, "Stupid trash. They don't even know how their own jutsu work."

Hinata took these words to heart more than she realized. She felt a bitter anger well up inside her, driving her to kill them. Before she knew what she did, Hinata focused chakra into her fingers and punctured Dosu on the left side of his chest. Dosu's grip weakened on Hinata's hair, releasing her from his grasp. Hinata pulled her hand back and pushed her other hand forward, hitting Dosu just a few inches away from where she first hit him.

A breath of air escaped Dosu, and he took a step back. Hinata took one more strike at Dosu's chest, this time just above his abdomen to send him to the ground struggling to breathe. Surprised, Zaku raised the cannons in his arms and took aim at Hinata, "What did you do to him."

Now running on pure survival instinct, Hinata retrieved a kunai from inside her kunai pouch and lifted Dosu by the scruff of his neck. Facing Dosu towards Zaku, Hinata angrily warned, "If you and your team don't leave right now, I am going to kill all of you."

"You're lying," Zaku declared, "If you were going to kill us, you would have done it already."

"I don't know about that," Hinata replied, lowering the bandages on Dosu's face, "Do you see how flushed your teammate's face is. It's because I stopped your friend's heart from beating. Right now his entire body is slowly being deprived of oxygen. I would say you have about two minutes before his brain starves and he dies."

Zaku groaned, lowering his arms and bitterly saying, "Alright, we'll go."

Hinata released Dosu, pushing him to the ground and commanding them, "Get out of my sight."

Zaku rushed to Dosu's side and took his arm over his own shoulder. He nodded at Kin and the two took off into the forest. Hinata felt a victorious smile grow on her face. She beat their entire team by herself. Not exactly by brute force, but she was able to force them into a retreat. It was definitely a victory to be proud of, filling her with an exhilarating sense of accomplishment.

"Hinata?" Sasuke's voice said behind her. She turned around to see Sasuke, kneeling on the ground with an amazed look on his face. In fact, his face appeared flushed and his eyes dazed. Hinata felt a strange feeling of dread coming from Sasuke's direction, along side a powerful surge of chakra, which preceded the appearance of strange markings across Sasuke's face. There was a lot of chakra, practically pouring into his surroundings. So much, Hinata could see it without her byakugan. But it was not the color of normal chakra, which was blue.

This chakra was black and emanated a cold malice.

……………

Naruto considered giving his plan a second thought but decided against it. Haku's death would be detrimental for what he was planning. Naruto was surprised he hadn't come up with this plan instead during his stay in the Land of Waves. It was far more clever and safe than the affairs in the Land of Waves. He reminded himself he was wiser in comparison to a few months ago and assured himself he wouldn't repeat his mistakes.

The meaning of Hashi's words finally dawned on him. _He had your respect as a peer, but you never knew him beyond a name and a face, am I correct? _Naruto treated Eiji like a tool, not a human being. As he dwelled on it, he realized the Dewaya functioned more like a family obediently following the father than an organization. Even though Yahiko was seated as head of the Dewaya, he treated all of his subordinates with respect as people. Even the clientele were acknowledged as friends. When Naruto headed the Kitsune, he treated all of the members more like tools than actual people. He even used Eiji like a puppet to avoid taking responsibility for the Kitsune's actions.

As Naruto came near the Hokage Tower, he began a series of hand signs and transformed into a perfect replica of Yahiko. He proceeded through the front gate and towards the front door, where two jonin intercepted him, "What do you want, yakuza?"

"To speak with the head of the Interrogation Corps," Naruto said plainly. The jonin scoffed, "Right, and I'll let you past here because?"

"I want to negotiate a prisoner release," Naruto said.

"You're money is no good here," the shinobi growled. Naruto smiled mischievously which annoyed the shinobi, "What?"

"What I have is more valuable than money," Naruto said. The shinobi laughed skeptically, "What could be more valuable to you yakuza than money?"

Naruto reminded himself he needed to be patient with these shinobi and said, "Something that is just as valuable to you."

The shinobi grimaced, "You bastard, you took a hostage."

"Is that any different from what you've done?" Naruto asked slyly. The ninja scowled and grabbed Naruto by the collar, "You take that back!"

Naruto did his best to maintain his cool against the shinobi's gaze. He tried his best to smile mockingly but the shinobi's piercing gaze unnerved him. The shinobi must have realized glaring Naruto down would do nothing because he released Naruto disdainfully. The jonin grunted, "Alright, wait here and I'll inform the head of the Interrogation Corps."

The jonin disappeared, and reappeared minutes later, accompanied by another. The man was sallow in the face, which was marked by two scars running from corner to corner. He wore the shinobi bandana and the standard shinobi garb under a sleeveless, black coat that ran down to his knees. The man was different from other shinobi he had met thus far. He had the face of a man who accepted the horrors the world could inflict and learned to be on both ends.

"Dewaya Yahiko," the man greeted bitterly, "I see you decided to show up alone this time."

Naruto was particularly surprised by his words, which meant Yahiko and this man met more than once. Naruto would have to play things cool if he was going to pass off as the real Yahiko. Taking deep breaths to calm him down, Naruto said, "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Let's just get straight to it," Ibiki groaned, "What do you want in exchange for the hostage?"

"I never said there was a hostage," Naruto answered coolly, "It was your shinobi."

The jonin scowled furiously at Naruto's revelation. The other shinobi laughed quietly groaned, massaging the bridge of his nose between his fingers, "So then why did you want to see me?"

Naruto grimaced, "Earlier today, you captured and imprisoned a friend of mine."

"You mean Haku?" the man asked, "He mentioned you several times. He said you were planning something. I assume he means the Dewaya Clan. Unfortunately for you, his release is non-negotiable. He's an S-Rank Criminal wanted by Kirigakure for aiding and abetting the late Momochi Zabuza. Though to be honest, I don't really care what happens either way. The more you gangsters kill each other is just another criminal off the streets as far as I care."

"I think you'll see he'll be leaving here tonight," Naruto answered, "I'm just trying to make it fair for both parties."

"What do you mean?" the man grew more assertive, as if trying to restrain an impulse. Naruto decided to lay all the cards on the table, "I have some information I think you might like. Concerning the safety of your ranks."

"Are you threatening me?" the man growled. Naruto raised his hand between them and said, "No, but I can give you names of some of our contacts inside your ranks. I'm willing to trade them for Haku."

"I don't believe it," the man answered, "And even if I did, you would never sell out one of your own."

"I give you my word, swearing on my honor," Naruto answered. Ibiki shook his head, "That's not an assurance."

Naruto remained firm in his offer, but also added, "I can reimburse my offer with a payment of 10,000 ryou. Will that be good enough?"

"You're money is no good," the man replied, "We do not take bribes."

Naruto began to panic. He wasn't making any headway in this negotiation. He didn't have any leverage to persuade them except for some information, which they naturally would doubt given the violent history between the Dewaya and Konoha. So then what could he do? Nothing, he couldn't do anything!

"I'll humor you for now," the man began laughing mockingly. Naruto was surprised to hear this but was uncertain if it was a joke or not. Naruto raised a curious eyebrow and asked, "You're making fun of me, aren't you?"

"No, now follow me," The man said to Naruto. The jonin Naruto spoke with earlier complained, "Ibiki! Are you serious? Can't we just take him into custody?"

"No," Ibiki answered, "He's the head of the Dewaya Clan. If we take him in, we bring the wrath of the entire Kuroihi Syndicate on us."

"Ibiki, you aren't telling me you're actually afraid of these guys are you?" the jonin protested. Naruto swore the name rang a bell, but he couldn't place when and where. Ibiki shot the man a deathly glare and growled, "Are you calling me a coward?"

"No sir!" the jonin meekly stepped back. Ibiki shrugged him off, "Like I said, I'm just humoring him. Besides, he can't overpower all of us now can he?"

Naruto swallowed a lump that formed in his throat. He was walking into a lion's den. He neglected to consider the full abilities of these shinobi, who could kill him on a whim at their discretion. But he couldn't back down now; otherwise it would send the wrong message. He would just have to take extra care for the time being.

Ibiki turned around and led Naruto inside the Hokage tower. Naruto had never been inside the towering structure before, even though it towered over the entire village. They went in through the front door into a lengthy hall lit by dim fluorescent lighting. The only sound came from their steps and the dim buzz of the lighting, which echoed off the walls.

As they walked along, Naruto pondered to himself why Ibiki's name was so familiar. So much happened in the last couple of days, and Miji did beat him senseless on one. For all he knew, the beating probably did some damage to his brain. He retraced the events of the last few days, starting with the first exam and working forward. He helped Shinji and Miji manage the gamblings, there was some arguing, and Naruto spent some of his money to restore faith in the returns. Then he killed Miji's uncle, and Miji beat him senseless.

Wait! That was it! Miji mentioned a man named Ibiki during the first test of the Chunin Exam. He was supposed to be dangerous, with a favor for getting inside one's head. A light bulb clicked in Naruto's head, filling him with worry. He was going to die here if he didn't play his cards right. He definitely should have thought this plan out better, but it was too late for that. He would have to play the cards he was dealt for now.

They continued walking for another half hour, descending down a flight of stairs into a darkened chasm beneath the tower. It was much like the underground bunker beneath the safe house, only larger and more complex. Naruto would never have guessed such a large complex existed beneath the building, especially when it was the tallest structure in the city.

"How much further?" Naruto asked, doing his best to hide his fear. Ibiki looked back and growled, "Haku is an S-Rank Criminal. Do you really think we would place him close to the exit? His cell is towards the bottom."

"This would be so much easier to believe if it were coming from anyone but you," Naruto remarked sarcastically. One of the jonin escorts snickered, but stopped as soon as Ibiki turned an angry eye in his direction. Another five minutes of walking took them to a long corridor lined with doors. Shinobi patrolled up and down the corridor lazily, some wearing glazed looks on their eyes. They proceeded halfway down the corridor, to a door guarded over by two ANBU. They bowed before Ibiki, and parted to let them inside.

Beyond the door was a small room lit only by a dim lamp hanging from the ceiling. At the far end was a slab held up only by chains, which Haku sat on quietly, with his hands tied behind his back. Haku frowned when his eyes lay on Naruto, and he plainly asked, "Are you here to kill me?"

"Not yet, no," Naruto said, still in disguise as Yahiko. Haku looked at Ibiki curiously and asked, "And you're just going to hand me over?"

"No," Ibiki grunted. He turned to Naruto and demanded, "Okay, I've shown you Haku. Now, what exactly do you think is so valuable that it's worth this S-Rank Criminal?"

"I'll give you half now, and the other half as soon as Haku and I are back upstairs," Naruto answered. Ibiki frowned and nodded, "Well?"

Naruto frowned, "There has been a lot of traffic between Oto and Suna for the past few weeks. We aren't sure why yet, but we have reason to believe something will happen on the last day of the Chunin Exam."

"How can we be sure this information is credible?" Ibiki asked, his expression remaining passive. Naruto smiled dismissively, "You can check it for yourselves. You know where our toll roads are. Some Suna nin usually travel the route between the two villages towards Oto. I can't say for certain why, but we know its happening."

Ibiki frowned, unconvinced, "I see, we'll look into it. Until we can verify the value of this information, we'll hold Haku here."

Naruto frowned, "You expect me to wait on my ass until you can prove its true?"

"Why not?" Ibiki answered, "I have all day."

Naruto was growing both annoyed and worried. He was annoyed because he would have to spend more time in this lion's den, and worried because he believed he was playing into Ibiki's mind games. He would have to remain calm for now, but waiting for the verification would take days. There was no way he could last that long in here. Every second he wasted inside this facility was another chance for them to trick Naruto. He would have to trade in the second part of the information if he wanted to get out now.

Maintaining a calm composure, Naruto said, "I'll give you the second piece of information now but in exchange I want Haku released to me and safe escort back outside."

"Well that depends on what the next piece of information is," Ibiki replied.

"I'm willing to trade one man for another," Naruto answered. Ibiki grew grimmer, noting, "You said you had no hostages."

"I don't, but I do have some expendable assets," Naruto said, "For example, I know someone you will find just as valuable as Haku."

"And just who might that be?" Ibiki pondered with intrigue.

"Jiga," Naruto stated plainly. He heard the jonin behind him gasp while Ibiki remained unimpressed. Ibiki walked past Naruto to the shinobi behind him and patted the man on the shoulder, "Care to explain what he means Jiga?"

"I wouldn't know Ibiki," Jiga answered nervously, "You know those boryokudan, right? You can't trust a word they say."

"But Jiga, isn't this your handwriting?" Naruto asked, retrieving the scroll from within his coat pocket. He unfurled it for Ibiki to read. Ibiki briefly read it and seemed generally unsurprised. With a passive tone he said, "Guards! Seize Jiga!"

Jiga panicked, retrieving a smoke bomb from within his vest, and threw it to the ground. As a cloud of black smoke filled the air, Jiga screamed, "Like hell they will!"

"He's making a break for the door!" One of the ANBU cried.

"Stop him!" Another declared.

Naruto covered his mouth with his hand to keep the nauseating smoke out of his mouth. The smoke covered the room in darkness but did little to cover the stampede of feet across the room. The noise grew louder, proceeding in his direction. Naruto felt a sense of danger he hadn't felt in a long time. Drawing his katana, Naruto took a defensive stance and aimed the sword forward. A loud shriek filled the room.

"Y…you…bastard," Jiga's voice grunted weakly, "You sold me out!"

The smoke cleared, to reveal Jiga who was stabbed through the right shoulder with Naruto's katana. Naruto frowned at the turn of events and removed his katana from Jiga. Jiga sank to his knees, while one of the ANBU pushed him to the ground and bound his hands.

Ibiki, who still remained impassive of the whole events, said, "So you're selling out an informant? Mind if I ask why?"

"I don't like him, but I like Haku," Naruto answered, "They're both equally valuable, but I only need one of them. You can think of it as a trade."

"I'll get you for this Yahiko!" Jiga growled as the ANBU carried him out. Ibiki shook his head and said, "Evil always hides behind the worst of facades."

Naruto ignored the comment and told Ibiki, "You can do whatever you want with him. If he sells out some of our other contacts for his own safety, you can do with them what you will. We won't retaliate."

"You're going through all this just to kill one S-rank shinobi?" Ibiki asked. Naruto took offense to the accusation, but did his best to maintain his calm, "No, not kill. Didn't I say I like Haku?"

"Maybe like him dead," Ibiki retorted, "I read the scroll. You ordered his assassination and yet you come here and trade in information for him. It makes me wonder what you're planning. So tell me, why should I release a valuable criminal to you if you're just going to kill him."

Naruto froze. He felt the lack of preparation beginning to sneak up on him. He should have given his plan more thought. What was he supposed to say? Naruto couldn't change what Yahiko wrote on the scroll now, and it was too late to play it off. Ibiki wouldn't go for it. So what should we do?

"You're not Yahiko, are you?" Ibiki asked, snapping his fingers. Three jonin appeared at the door to the cell, blocking the only exit. _Exposed, _Naruto thought. Ibiki smiled, "So, if that's the case, who am I releasing Haku too?"

"I don't understand what you're talking about," Naruto answered.

"Do you really think a poor Henge is going to fool some of Konoha's top shinobi?" Ibiki asked. Naruto's spirits sank at the revelation. He was dead. He walked right into this like an idiot, didn't he? Naruto took a second to consider his options. He could surrender now, and let them take him in, but like hell he would do that. He wasn't going to just let these shinobi win. His second option would be to fight his way out. A suicidal notion, but it was better than just giving up.

"Okay, I'll make you a deal," Ibiki said, "Give us your real name, and we'll let you go."

Naruto once again paused to consider his options. This new alternative was better than his plan to fight his way out. But it would risk everything Hashi-sensei had worked for. He had already gone out of his way to help protect Naruto from Konoha and revealing himself here would only bring trouble upon himself. But getting killed was not a better alternative. Naruto decided he had little choice in the matter and dispelled the technique, revealing himself. He was still wearing his rice hat and blue cloak, however the orange clothing was a fairly dead give away. Now that he dwelt on it, not a lot of people wore orange. They probably already deduced who he was. On the off chance they didn't though, Naruto decided to try a lie, "You can call me Boss Kitsune."

"As in the former Kitsune Syndicate of the Land of Waves?" Ibiki asked, "I was under the impression you were killed with the rest of your gang by a gang war with a rival."

"A common misconception," Naruto replied, "Now, please release Haku to me."

Ibiki paused for a second, a sense of deep contemplation crossing his face before nodding silently. With another snap of his fingers, Haku's bindings were undone. As they proceeded outside and upstairs, Ibiki gave Naruto one warning, "We'll release Haku to you for now but keep this in mind: if we find out the information you traded us was a lie, then we will hunt down and kill you both."

"I'll keep that in mind," Naruto replied as they reached the exit. Ibiki impassively dismissed them, "You've been warned."

As they proceeded out into the night streets of the village, Haku quietly said, "You shouldn't have done that Naruto."

"I would have thought you would have been grateful," Naruto answered.

"I'm not ungrateful," Haku replied, "But I do have my reservations concerning what you just did. If anything went wrong, you would have died. I don't enjoy the idea of my first true friend dying."

"So you'd rather stay in the cell?" Naruto asked. Haku shook his head, "No. But I assume Yahiko ordered my death?"

"He wanted me to deliver the message. I took a peak at the scroll and it said kill you," Naruto explained, "I decided to take it in my own hands."

"So what are you going to do next, Boss Kitsune?" Haku asked half mockingly, and half respectfully. Naruto lifted his rice hat to reveal the smirk on his face, "A coup d'etat of the Dewaya Clan."

"I don't follow," Haku said, "You're planning on killing Yahiko after everything he's done to help you?"

"Not kill him," Naruto answered, "But a silent usurpation doesn't sound too bad. After all, we both know the henge and Yahiko can't take both of us on."

"And what will that accomplish?" Haku asked.

"For starters, it will tell me just what's going on behind the scenes," Naruto answered.

"That reminds me," Haku replied, "I meant to explain what I said earlier, about Scarecrow and the Dewaya."

"I'm listening," Naruto answered to Haku who went on, "Yahiko probably told you I was sent here by Boss Hashi to make sure the Dewaya had no loose ends. That's a partial truth. Yahiko is one of the suspects in the attack on the council meeting. Actually, scratch that, he is _the _suspect."

"So then why did Hashi-sensei send me down here?" Naruto asked.

"A full investigation was not possible at the time he decided to leave you and Hana in Yahiko's care. When he came to realize Yahiko was a traitor, he became concerned for both your well-beings. However, he couldn't confront Yahiko without placing both of you at risk. So he sent me to keep you two safe while I pretended to be investigating the Dewaya for any loose ends. Yahiko began to panic and immediately tried to cover his tracks, which is why he began ordering so many assassinations of late. It wasn't to protect the clan, it was to protect himself."

"So Oboro wasn't a threat to the Dewaya?" Naruto asked in shock. Haku shook his head, "He was only a threat to Yahiko. Hashi believes Yahiko was a distributor of some…illegitimate products, which Gatou imported in the Land of Waves. To be frank, I think some of the people who were killed recently were little more than pushers Yahiko wanted to cut loose."

To say Naruto was furious with this new development would be an understatement. He trusted Yahiko and Yahiko used him only to further his own gains. Justifiably annoyed, Naruto added, "All the more reason to replace Yahiko."

…………

Hinata could never have foretold that preliminaries would have followed at the end of the second stage. Her team already traversed a grueling all night travel towards the tower at the center of forest, only to find they would have to fight in a quick tournament to remain in the exam. Thus far, everyone she knew won his or her individual fights. Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, and Sasuke all passed with flying colors. Chouji was rendered unconscious by the masked Oto genin known as Dosu. Sakura and Ino, who happened to be chosen to fight one another, ended their match at a draw. Lee's fight ended in a horrific defeat where he was paralyzed in both his left limbs.

All that remained were her, Lee's two teammates, and the female Suna nin. They all watched the bulletin board at the end of the tournament room as it randomly selected the next two names to fight each other. The names began to slow down before finally stopping to read:

Hyuga Hinata VS Hyuga Neji

Hinata frowned at the outcome, but across the room she heard a confident chuckle. Below, the exam proctor beckoned them down, "Hyuga Neji and Hyuga Hinata, please approach the stage."

Shaken by the inevitability of her loss, Hinata descended down the steps towards the proctor, and towards her cousin. She didn't hate her cousin, but she didn't exactly like him either. It was too difficult to describe their relationship, given they were never really on speaking terms. Not since his father's death.

It was part of a long history written in blood, otherwise known as the Hyuga Clan history. It was as complex as it was simple. The quickest way to explain it would be to describe a feud between two separate yet related groups. His father was a casualty of that age-old feud; one Neji never forgave her side of the family for. They met at the center of room. Hinata felt all the eyes in the room rest on them in that moment, anticipating the outcome eagerly. The proctor held his arm up between them and said, "Okay, the rules are the same. The fight continues until one of you withdraws or dies. Anything goes. Are both of you ready?"

"Yes," Neji answered with a sense of accomplished certainty.

"Um…," Hinata hesitated for a second before nodding, "Yes…I'm ready."

"You should just forfeit now," Neji said, "You cannot defeat me."

"I won't back down, not from this," Hinata responded, reminding herself that she adopted Naruto's nindo. She took a defensive form, raising her arms to protect herself. Neji smirked mockingly before he assumed a similar stance. The jonin proctor looked at them both, coughed, and said, "Begin!"

The proctor leaped backwards so the combatants could fight, only to find neither of them have moved. Hinata and Neji stood there, exchanging silent stares for a moment. Neji was the first to say, "Why do you bother with this charade? We both know you don't have either the skill or the power to stop me, Lady Hinata."

"Neji, my brother, I won't back down because I never go against my word," Hinata responded, "So defend yourself!"

"BYAKUGAN!" they said simultaneously. In an instant, the two Hyuga's were grappling against one another violently. Neither wanted to be the loser in the battle but for different reasons. One sought vengeance, the other sought refinement. There was a brief exchange of jabs and blows but neither was able to make contact with their opponent.

After a few seconds, Hinata and Neji leaped away from one another. They both gasped for breath, trying to recover from their attack. Neji took this opportunity to mock Hinata, "You've gotten better, but your still light years behind me. You cannot defeat me. Surrender now."

"Shut up!" Hinata growled, diving forward with her hands stretch out forward. She used her byakugan to target the chakra points at his shoulders. If he could block his joints, he would be able to turn the fight in her favor. But that would be too cruel, wouldn't it? Second-guessing herself, she decided to move her hand a centimeter to the left. It would seem that she missed her target.

She struck Neji just an inch away from his chakra point. She meant to pull away once the strike was dealt, but she found herself freezing. She was unable to pull herself away from her cousin, and a strange binding sensation was on her arm. Then she realized why.

Neji had grabbed the arm she used to strike him and already buried it under a wave of jabs at her chakra points. Pulling with all her might, she freed herself from his grasp but with a now defunct right arm. Neji decided to mock her even more, saying, "Do you see how futile your efforts are? Come at me as much as you want, I'll strike you down at each turn. Save yourself now and forfeit."

Hinata didn't know what overcame her in that instant, but she drew explosive tags from inside her kunai pouch and wrapped it around her kunai knives. Amused, Neji added, "What do you think you're doing? Do you think a few exploding tags are going to help you here?"

Hinata had to admit she enjoyed the idea of burying this kunai into his head to shut him up, but she was more concerned with the advantage this gained for her. With these exploding tags, she could keep her cousin at bay unless he didn't mind risking getting them both killed. The tactic was suicidal, but she didn't really care if she lived or died at this point. She would not let him win. With an angry scowl, she told her cousin, "Do not underestimate me. I said I never go back on my word, and I'm not going to start now."

She charged forward with the kunai in her good hand, and she took aim at her cousin's heart. Naturally, her cousin leapt out of the way to avoid being in the blast radius of the exploding tag. With Neji in the air, he had no way to change his direction. She took this chance to shoot three kunai at him, but only one had a burning exploding tag.

Before he reached the apex of his ascent, Neji deflected the first two kunai easily. HE was about to deflect the third, only to find it explode in his face. Neji fell to the ground but scrambled up to his feet. Hinata charged forward, focusing her chakra into her left hand and taking aim for his heart. With four quick thrusts, she struck the chakra points at and around his heart, blocking all the circulation to the area.

"Im…impossible," Neji repeated, his voice growing faint. Hinata took this chance to strike his lungs, his shoulders, his liver and his throat. With a voice just barely above a whisper, Hinata said, "I win."

She stepped away from her cousin, who sank to the ground gasping for breath. The proctor announced Hinata as the winner and let the medical nin rush forward to attend to Neji. As Hinata walked back upstairs, she heard the medical nin say, "His entire respiratory system just locked up. He'll be dead soon if we don't get him to the op room soon."

"Alright," the medical nin responded. Together, they transferred Neji onto a stretcher and quickly left the room. As Hinata ascended the steps back to her teammate Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi, she found herself gazing down at her feet. She almost killed her cousin and it was such a rush. She never felt so excited and alive before.

"Hinata, is everything alright?" Sakura asked frightfully. Hinata smiled cheerfully and casually answered, "Yes, of course."

But everything wasn't alright. She almost killed her cousin and it doing so made her so happy. What was happening to her?

…………

Naruto and Haku arrived at his old apartment a few minutes later, to find Hana snoozing away on his bed with a magazine covering her face. Naruto turned on the light, earning him a groan from Hana who rolled over to her side and covered her face with a pillow. Naruto went inside and threw off his cloak and hat. He sat down at his small kitchen table and yawned. Haku, with no where else to sit, leaned against the wall, "So what do we do now?"

"We take over the Dewaya," Naruto yawned.

"And how do you propose we do that?" Haku inquired.

"I'm making this up as I go Haku," Naruto explained, "Just go with the flow."

"Give it more thought!" Haku demanded.

"Look, it's simple," Naruto frowned, "I'll lure Yahiko down here, we tie him up, ask him some questions, and then I head back to the office disguised as him."

"And then what?" Haku asked.

"I already told you, we find out what Yahiko's been up to," Naruto answered, "Things continue the way they're supposed to while we try to figure out what Yahiko was doing behind Hashi-sensei's back."

"Find out how deep he was?" Haku asked.

"Hopefully, things are only as bad as they seem," Naruto finished. The plan was simple and would be easy to carry out. He did neglect to mention the part where Yahiko would be killed but Naruto would save that for another time and place. Naruto sat up and said, "I'm going to take a shower. And then I'll go get Yahiko."

He grabbed a pair of clothes from his bags, a towel and then into his shower. A hot shower was exactly what he needed at the moment anyway. He wasn't trying to clean himself; he just needed something to take the tension away. The steaming water relaxed all the muscles in his body, replaced with a warmly welcomed comfort. Once he was done, Naruto dressed himself in his orange dress shirt, and his black slacks. To his amazement, he realized they were the same clothes Yahiko bought him for his first day of work. He marveled at the curiousness before donning his goggles and heading out, "I'm going now."

"I'm coming with," Haku said. Naruto popped an eyebrow in surprise, "Are you serious?"

"You don't think these things through, I do. Let's go," Haku answered. Naruto wanted to argue, but Haku appeared adamant in his choice. They left the apartment and headed straight for the office. Although he never really paid attention to it, Konoha actually seemed prettier at night. It definitely had a more docile air at night than in the day. They traveled down the village streets, occasionally passing by a stray pet or a homeless drunk staggering aimlessly in no particular direction.

When they finally arrived at the office building, it was to the sight of Miji. His shirt was untucked and his tie was loose. More importantly, he appeared to have not slept in some time. He closed the front door behind him and raised a bottle to his lips. He raised it over his head, swallowing its contents and letting some drip down the side of his mouth. Afterwards, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and grunted. He muttered an inaudible obscenity before walking straight towards Naruto. Without so much as a glance in his direction, Miji walked right past him.

Naruto stopped in his tracks to look back at Miji with guilt. He should have given Yahiko's order more thought, instead of following through with it. Maybe Miji wouldn't be angry with him and Hakuoro would still have a grandfather. But it was too little, too late for contemplation and Naruto still hadn't consoled Miji for his actions. Before Miji could get any further away, Naruto rushed over to his side to call his name, "Miji."

"Wha—d'ya want'cha-cha stoop-oopeed bruht?" Miji stopped in his tracks and growled, his speech slurred from the sake. Naruto was unsurprised by Hashi's refusal to turn around and said, "I wanted to apologize, about your uncle. If I had known then what I knew now, I wouldn't have done it. It probably won't mean anything to you now, but I'm sorry for all the trouble it's caused you and your grand nephew."

"Surry?" Miji repeated, "Yoos says yours surry!?

Miji spun around and shot Naruto a nasty glare, "SURRY, Ain't goins ta breeng ma uncle bacsh!"

Without warning, Miji threw the sake bottle at Naruto. Naruto leaned to the side and out of the bottle's path, as it smashed into the ground behind him and spilled its contents. Naruto felt a mix of anguish and pity for Miji, who stumbled backwards against a wall and started to whimper like a child. Miji wiped his face with his hands and began pulling at his hair, "Nami! DAMSHIT! Why joo steels heersh?"

Miji shot him another dirty look and Naruto took it as his cue to leave. Turning on his heels, Naruto rejoined Haku and they went inside the Dewaya Office. As he closed the door, he heard Miji break out into a series of quiet sobs. Inside, Naruto noticed the secretary's paperwork was still stacked and unfinished on her desk. They headed straight towards Yahiko's office, from within was a small glow and semi-hushed voices.

"Yahiko…" a woman's voice said softly. A voice, which bore a striking similarity to the receptionist's voice.

"Nami…" Yahiko's voice whispered back. A soft thumping noise came from inside their office, accompanied by heavy breaths and hushed moans. Naruto pulled on the doorknob only to find it was locked from the inside, a definite surprise since the door was always locked. Immediately the noise stopped and silence followed. After a few seconds, Yahiko asked, "Whose there?"

"It's me Oyabun," Naruto answered, "I wanted to talk."

"Can you come back in an hour?" Yahiko answered from within, "I'm…busy."

"A meeting?" Naruto asked. There was a pause from within before Yahiko answered, "Yeah. Come back in an hour and we can talk then."

"Okay Oyabun," Naruto answered. As he turned to leave, he heard the woman's voice ask, "Do you think he's gone?"

"Yeah," Yahiko's answered, "Let's keep going,"

And suddenly the soft moans and thumping resumed. Naruto had no clue what was going on inside and looked at Haku hoping for some explanation. Haku wore an amused grin on his face, but didn't really explain why. He disappeared into the kitchen while Naruto walked upstairs to the bathroom, removed his goggles and splashed some water onto his face. He rubbed his eyes and patted his face dry before looking at himself in the mirror. He was tired, which went without saying. He cracked a yawn and joined Haku in the kitchen, where he prepared himself a cup of tea with sugar.

They waited patiently for an hour, sipping tea quietly without exchanging a word. Both of them knew what was going to happen next. It was simply a matter of how to carry it out. before he heard the door to Yahiko's office open. They took the cue and went out to meet Yahiko, only to find him sweath and kissing the receptionist while holding her in a tight embrace. When she caught sight of Naruto and Haku, she retracted from Yahiko's embrace and took off back into the lobby. Yahiko frowned and motioned for Naruto to come into his office.

"What was that about?" Naruto asked curiously. Yahiko waved him off, "Nothing. So what did you want to talk about?"

"Hello, Yahiko," Haku said with a mix of calm and respect. Yahiko's face paled when he caught sight of Haku and he immediately answered, "Hey Haku. What's up?"

"Don't play dumb with us Yahiko," Naruto answered, "We both know about the assassination order you gave."

"I see," Yahiko frowned, running a hand through his hair, "Okay, come in."

Naruto and Haku exchanged worried looks, before following Yahiko inside into his office. Naruto expected a fight or an attempt to flee from Yahiko, but not an invitation into his quarters. Staying on their guard, they entered the office, where Yahiko kneeled on a pillow set before his desk. He retrieved a small wakizashi from inside his coat and set it down before him. He bade Naruto and Haku to sit, but both of them promptly refused.

"What are you doing?" Naruto inquired.

"I'm afraid I haven't been completely honest with you Naruto," Yahiko explained, "But I'm sure you're aware of that. I have betrayed the Kuroihi Syndicate in the name of my own selfish interests."

"Why, Yahiko?" Naruto asked, "Hashi-sensei trusted you to take care of his me and his daughter. Hana trusted you with her life. I trusted you with mine."

"Hubris, mostly," Yahiko answered, "Keitaro was always the favorite of the chairman…and of Oy-Oyabun. Everything I did went unnoticed in favor of Keitaro. The only reason I was given the position of head of the Dewaya was because Keitaro got promoted to Hashi's Personal Assistant. It angered me. To think all my hard work would be for nothing because he liked Keitaro just a little bit better."

"That's not the case, Yahiko," Haku answered, "Boss Sakurazaki had nothing but genuine respect for you and your accomplishments."

Yahiko laughed a calm snicker, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, he answered, "Gatou saw what I was capable of and approached me with a mutually beneficial opportunity. I accepted and used the profit to build the Dewaya to what it was today. But it still wasn't enough. Oya-yabun didn't acknowledge my achievements in the slightest. Then, two days before you met oyab…Oyabun, the head of Otogakure approached me with the opportunity to become oya…bun's new favorite. In exchange, all I had to do was keep you alive and miserable."

"Me?" Naruto asked. Yahiko nodded, "Yes. I was the one who hired that man to attack you the day oya…yabun saved your life. I was the one who had that same man beaten as punishment for his failure. When you were taken away to Oyab…un's manor, I was the one who hired the rogue chunin who pranced about like an ANBU to bring you back here. I don't know why Orochimaru was so interested in making your life horrible, but he said it would help him further his plans."

"And what were those plans?" Haku asked.

"I don't know," Yahiko said, "He just asked me to keep Naruto alive and miserable, and to make sure the wall defenses were weakened on the last day of the exam."

"Do you expect us to believe that's all you know?" Haku said sarcastically. Yahiko frowned, "I've told you everything. When O…oyabun began to suspect my actions, I tried to cover my tracks and hide the dishonor I brought to the Kuroihi."

Yahiko paused to stare up at the ceiling with a longing gaze. He sighed resignfully and reached for the wakizashi, "I ordered so many deaths in the past few days, all because I couldn't face my own shame."

Bringing the wakizashi up to his face and holding it upside down, he said, "Naruto. I'm sorry to have brought this on you. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Before either Naruto or Haku could react, Yahiko plunged the knife into his belly and moved it sideways. He vomited up some blood and the contents of his abdomen spilled out of body. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, before he slumped onto the floor with a thud. Naruto was the first one at his side, shaking Yahiko furiously, "Yahiko!"

Haku ran two fingers between his jaw and his neck before stating, "It's too late. He's gone."

Naruto cursed under his breath, "Why did he do it?"

"Honor," Haku answered, "When a samurai slices open his stomach with his own blade, his honor is considered restored. It's ritual suicide."

Naruto wasn't sure if he was angry or sad to see Yahiko take his own life. There was nothing he could do for him now thought. He rose to his feet and angrily grunted, "We have to dispose of the body."

"Naruto, do you really still want to carry through with this plan?" Haku asked with restrained disgust, "After all, Yahiko is dead."

"It'll be hard to assume control of the Dewaya as Yahiko if the entire clan finds out Yahiko is dead," Naruto noted, "We can't bring him back to life so all we can do is dispose of the body."

"And then what?" Haku asked, "Do you plan on pretending to be Boss Dewaya for the rest of your life?"

"The situation hasn't changed Haku," Naruto said, "Only the conditions. We would have killed Yahiko anyway. This just saves us the trouble of having to take care of him ourselves."

Haku paused for a moment, taking in what Naruto said. He nodded disapprovingly, "Okay, but you have no idea how many violations of the Four Family Concord you just committed."

"The what?" Naruto asked stupidly.

"The Four Family Concord," Haku repeated, "The governing document which helped end the last Syndicate War. It negotiated the current…never mind, I'll get rid of the body."

"Right," Naruto said. Naruto ran upstairs to grab a blanket, which they used to wrap Yahiko's body. Haku grabbed the bundle and disappeared out the back door. Naruto retrieved a bucket and some rags from the bathroom to clean the spilt blood on the floor. When he finished, Naruto returned his cleaning supplies and used a henge to disguise himself as Yahiko. He took Yahiko's place at his chair behind his desk, rotating it around to see out the window. He never gave it much though before, but now he realized the window gave him an interesting view down the road straight towards the Hokage Tower and its Stone Face Monument.

He sat there, gazing out the window in awe until Haku returned, "I've disposed of his body. No one will ever find it."

"What did you do?" Naruto asked curiously. Haku frowned, "Techniques used by tracker nin and ANBU Black Ops when they dispose of deceased rogues: drained the blood, cleaved flesh from bone, and burnt the remains. As far as anyone will know, Yahiko is still alive and well."

"That's good," Naruto answered, "Thanks for taking care of that."

"So, is this Boss Kitsune's big return?" Haku asked sarcastically. Naruto spun his chair around and grinned menacingly, "No, this is Boss Yahiko living another day in his life."

They both laughed at Naruto's remark, one maniacally and the other submissively. Haku frowned with concern for his friend even though he kept cackling like a madman, daunted by Naruto's recent actions. As he looked at his disguised friend, he noted with concern how his eyes flashed blood red.

…………

In another part of the village, Morino Ibiki waited patiently outside the Third Hokage's office. The Third Hokage emerged from within, a disgruntled scowl on his face. He led Ibiki inside and took a seat behind his desk. Ibiki bowed respectfully to the village leader and began to speak, "I'm sorry to bother you at this time of night."

The Third waved his hand dismissively, "It's alright, I had some trouble falling asleep anyway. What is it you needed?"

"Earlier this evening we released the prisoner you captured in exchange for an informant in the Dewaya. The traitor was Jiga, one of our own. He's being held in interrogation now, and so far he's already named several other shinobi inside our ranks who leak information to the local gangs."

"Who was Haku released to?" the Third asked quietly.

"He was released to Uzumaki Naruto," Ibiki answered. The Third Hokage frowned skeptically ay Ibiki's words, "If you were trying to make a joke, it was completely inappropriate."

"I have at least three other shinobi in the Interrogation Corps who can confirm my story. The one who came to negotiate Haku's release was Uzumaki Naruto himself," Ibiki responded, earning him an annoyed look from the Third. Ibiki frowned, "He wore a disguise to conceal his identity, but only one person in this entire village wears bright orange."

"Fair enough," the Third answered, "You realize of course, this negates an earlier report by Team 7 which reported he committed suicide in the Land of Waves."

"Yes," Ibiki said, "But there is one thing I wanted to bring up. When Uzumaki Naruto decided to show himself, I felt a strange second presence that appeared to vacuum all the peace out of the room. It was faint, but there was a small amount of the fox's chakra leaking out of the boy. It wasn't strong enough to stand out, but when you noticed it was there it was definitely hard to ignore."

"This confirms some of my earlier worries," the Third noted, rising from behind his desk to look out the window, "It would seem the seal which has kept the fox imprisoned inside him is finally starting to weaken."

"Sir?" Ibiki called his name to get his attention. The Third frowned, "This wasn't supposed to get out, but for the last several days I've been feeling several faint pulses of the Kyubi's chakra. It wasn't exactly strong enough to detect. Even a jounin with acute sensitivity to chakra signature would have missed it. But I didn't. Each time I feel a pulse, it gets stronger. My guess is that if Naruto is alive, the Kyubi is reining some amount of control over him. It could be as subtle as a single thought, which appears in his head, or as blaring as temporary control over his entire body. Whatever the case, I fear the worst is yet to come.

**Author's Notes: **Well, another chapter over and done with. Updates will continue on the normal 6 week schedule. The next update will be on Friday, July 3rd! If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	28. An Unlikely Alliance

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as a cartoon by Viz Media. The Art of War is the published text of Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicates, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Notes: **Hey everybody! Thanks for being so patient with me. Needless to say, work robbed me of the time I wanted to work on this chapter but, in my defense, my job requires a lot of commitment. For those of you who don't know my job, it's in a little thing called Health Care. And since I'm always on call, I don't get a lot of sleep. This is an early update because I won't have time later tonight to review and post so I just want to say: thanks for your comments and for reading. Additionally, I ask for your forgiveness for any spelling, continuity, or grammar errors. Like I said, I had little time for review. Now on to review responses:

**Surf Wizard: **Shh…what happens, happens. PS: Kenton: Rasengan no Ken!

**DarkRavie: **Wait no more, for here it is!

**T3KO: **I'm not going to lie, I was nervous about making a more viscious Hinata. I'm glad you liked it though. It puts my mind at ease.

**All Nightmare Long: **I did? Oops. My bad. Like I said, I don't get a lot of time to write this story. Thanks for the compliments though. Here's a hint about Orochimaru: Ichibi vs Kyuubi over Konoha. Remember: naruto's emotional stability is the only thing keeping the seal in tact.

**Peter Kim: **Simple Really: BLOOD ORGY! The entire story is approaching a highly volatile climax that will have a very cool ending. I won't give away anything until we get there.

**Shadow-Sensei: **You don't have to worry about not speculating. It just bothers me when the speculation turns out to be right. Like Sony's PSP Go. They worked so hard to keep it a surprise and it still got leaked. No worries though, feel free to speculate as you please! :-)

**I Can't Think of A Good Name34: **Thanks and will do!

**Lainana: **I believe the phrase you're looking for is: DUN DA DUN!

That's all for now so, without further ado, I present the continuation of Oyabun:

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 28: An Unlikely Alliance**

Almost a week passed with little incident since Yahiko's suicide. There was a lot of paperwork on Yahiko's desk which he didn't quite understand, however he was able to assign it all to Shinji with little trouble. Shinji would occasionally come searching for Yahiko and Naruto at the same time, but thankfully Haku always came to his aid by transforming into Naruto. There was a close call where Yahiko walked in on Naruto as he was about to transform into Yahiko, but Miji suddenly took away Shinji attention just long enough for Naruto to assume his previous position.

As for the gang as a whole, it was a mix of calm and fear. According to the books, or more accurately Haku since Naruto couldn't make heads or tails of the numbers, the gang's budget matched Hashi-sensei's expectations. The fear arose from the _real_ Yahiko's recent excursion into killing anyone and everyone at his discretion. Naruto hoped the fear would die down with time, but so far everyone in the Dewaya went out of their way to show they were on his good side.

Today, Naruto gave himself a day off. Or, more accurately, gave Yahiko a day off. He planned to spend it napping somewhere, however some other Dewaya members had other plans. They told Naruto, he (Yahiko) had been doing too much work lately and he should have some fun every now and again. Then they dragged him off to a busy dance club whose occupants were caught up in their own world. Naruto found the loud music annoying and the large crowd made him claustrophobic. Hoping to avoid making a scene, he disappeared to a quiet part of the dance club and surveyed the scene before him with his hands folded quietly on the table.

Lively music blasted through the speakers, sending the crowd into a dancing frenzy. Lights flashed on and off in sequence to the song, sending shadows of the dancers against the wall in a rhythmic pattern resembling a ritual. A small stage over looked the crowd where a young woman dressed in an elegant silk dress held a microphone between her hands. As the song reached a high point, words flowed from her lips. Her lyrics entwined with the rhythms of the song, sending the crowd into a wild rush of movement. She started moving with the crowd, dancing smoothly and quickly to the beat. Behind her were four men in skintight spandexes and black shades that mimicked her movements, following her motions but making sure not to draw attention away from the young singer.

"What can I do for you? Oh…oh… What can I do for you? Ooh baby… What can I do for you?" the singer sang.

The crowd roared enthusiastically when the singer stripped away her dress to reveal a tight tank top and a very short mini skirt underneath. The rhythm picked up speed and the singer's movements quickened. Her voice became more sensuous to compliment the song that grew louder.

"Far beyond the hazy borders of my heart,  I could see a place that's something like this.  Every now and then I don't know what to do, still I know that I can never go back. But the things I've seen in those hazy dreams , can't compare to what I'm seeing now. Everything's so different that it brings me to my knees!" her voice rang out.

'"And though I know the real world of emotion has surrounded me,  I won't give in to it.  Now I know that forward is the only way my heart can go.  I hear your voice calling out to me: 'You'll never be alone'" she sang on. Naruto found her movement mesmerizing, unable to draw his eyes away from the singer. Suddenly one of Dewaya who dragged him here, a portly fellow named Shitaini appeared with two women in his arms, "Hey Boss! Come on! What are you doing over here? There's a party going on all around you and you're just lounging here like a bum!"

"I'm not in the mood to…party," he replied sheepishly. Shitaini shrugged, "Hey, I'd like you to meet my two lovely friends: Hina and Mitsune."

The two women giggled as Naruto examined them both. They were both some where in their early twenties but were wore so much make up that they looked older. Naruto gave them a brief nod and said, "Nice to meet you."

Shitaini rolled his eyes and said, "You're such a stiff, you know Yahiko? Come on ladies, I'd like to show you the VIP area upstairs."

Shitaini led the ladies off to another part of the club, leaving Naruto alone in the corner booth. He grew tired of sitting around like an idiot and rose to leave when a strange man sat him down. The man had long silvery hair and was dressed in a mix-match of purple and white clothes. A pair of glasses rested on his nose, just below a Konoha head band. The man adjusted his eyeglasses and sat down across from him, "I wouldn't have figured you for the partying type, Yahiko."

Naruto froze. Was this an acquaintance of Yahiko's and, if so, what was their relationship. Was it casual business or was Yahiko secretly into men? Naruto did his best to remain calm and leaned back against his seat indifferently. The man went on, "I trust all the arrangements were made?"

Naruto nodded, unsure of what arrangements he meant. The man remained calm but his tone grew angrier, "Then why did you sell out an informant for an assassin?"

"You heard about that?" Naruto asked worriedly, which upset the man, "Who didn't? By selling out one informant, you sold out the entire network of informants in Konoha. They're already on the move to capture every last one of them, myself included. The idiots have already gone into hiding, but I can assure you they'll be caught within the week."

"So what does this have to do with you?" Naruto inquired curiously. The man grew annoyed, "Don't play dumb with me. You know you betrayed us the second you sold out the entire informant network. The entire plan is at risk and to keep it from falling apart, I have to eliminate all the loose ends."

Naruto noted the familiarity of the words. Did everyone in this village have a secret plan that needed loose ends to be tied? Whatever the case, this man was now planning on killing him. The only question pressing Naruto's mind at the moment was why hadn't he done it yet.

"Of course, I can't just kill you and be on my way," the man pointed out, readjusting his glasses, "There are too many of your lackeys here for me to leave alive. Fortunately for you, I happen to be a mere kage bunshin."

"So…you plan on killing me silently and then releasing the bunshin so that you can't be caught. You'll be long gone before anyone realizes I'm dead," Naruto said matter of factly. The man shook his head, "Quite the contrary. I plan on killing you rather loudly as a warning to our other contacts; We do not take kindly to double crossers."

"I'm pretty sure my boys will grab you before you can perform a public execution," Naruto pointed out, to which the man laughed, "I'm not talking about cutting off your head on a stage."

"Then what else…" Naruto trailed off when he heard the unforgettable hissing he heard so many times before. As if on instinct, Naruto quickly performed a set of hand signs beneath the table and looked for the closest object or person he could find. Incidentally, the first person he saw was a middle aged man, who bore a striking semblance to Yahiko except with shorter hair, dressed in similar business clothes. He activated the Kawarimi technique just in time to see the explosive tag go off from the other end of the club.

A loud boom echoed through the club, followed by debris and shrapnel that flew in every direction. Screams and yells filled the building, as everyone ran out the doors to get away. Two bouncers and a Dewaya ran forward with the katanas as the ready, moving slowly towards the smoke which dissipated out the door. There, sitting in the booth with a horrified expression, were the charred remains of the man Naruto swapped places with. He felt sick to his stomach for having used another man to protect himself, but a voice in the back of his head told him,_**Better him than you.**_

Naruto quickly released the henge in the confusion, going unnoticed amidst the chaos. He took this chance to slip out of the club with the stampede of people and travel back to his apartment. There, he found Haku pouring over boxes of documents and examining them carefully. Haku looked at Naruto with a frown and said, "I just found what happened to about thirty percent of the missing ryou that followed after Gatou Corps fall. Apparently, Yahiko laundered some of the money by investing it into the local properties and maintenance costs for the Dewaya. The rest was used to give Dewaya associates bonuses or was reinvested by buying out real estate across the country. I'll be honest Naruto. If Yahiko were still alive, we have enough evidence to make him the most wanted man in the entire Kuroihi."

"About that," Naruto cut him off, "We have a problem. Some white haired guy attacked me at a dance club while I was disguised as Yahiko."

"So?"

"So they think I'm dead. I mean Yahiko, they think Yahiko's dead," Naruto said. Haku sat up instantly, "What did you do."

"I used a substitution technique to replace myself with somebody else in the club," Naruto explained, "The attacker used an exploding tag so the body should be destroyed beyond recognition."

"Interesting," Haku said, rubbing his chin between his fingers, "What about the attacker?"

"He had a Konoha head band and wore glasses, but I doubt he is just another shinobi. He knew about the exchange for your release and he knew about the," Naruto said, "He also kept saying something about the plan being endangered."

"The plan? That could mean anything," Haku said, pacing back and forth, "Do you have any ideas what he could have meant?"

"Until we sort out all of this paper work, no," Naruto answered plainly, "Is there anything in there besides finances?"

"Not as far as I've seen," Haku explained, handing a document to Naruto, "Everything is just paper work on expenses. If there was anything else, Yahiko either never made a record or destroyed the only documents."

"Taking his secrets to the grave," Naruto groaned, falling backwards onto his couch, "What are we going to do?"

"You tell me, Boss Kitsune," Haku retorted. Naruto rolled his eyes, "Stop that. What I did in the Land of Waves was a mistake, okay?"

"Was it?" Haku asked, "As Boss Kitsune, I'd say you accomplished a lot. You organized remnants of Gatou's old gang, unified two opposing factions, rescued the bridge builder's family-"

"And got everyone killed," Naruto said flatly, "I don't want to think about the Land of Waves. I made a critical mistake when I became head of the Kitsune. One I don't plan on making again."

"And what is that?" Haku asked. Naruto frowned, "Family. We aren't gangs, we are family: a family that looks after one another. When I was Boss Kitsune, I abused the members for my own gains. I'm even doing it again. I'm using the Dewaya for my gains."

"And what are those gains?" Haku asked. Naruto shrugged, "Right now, cleaning up Yahiko's mess and keeping everything under control. Also finding out why this Orochimaru wanted to make my life hell. But how can I do that if the guy everyone thinks I'm disguised as is dead. There has to be a solution for this."

"There might just be," Haku chimed in, "With Yahiko dead, or at least his public death, the entire Dewaya clan will gather it's senior members: the Dewaya Council. It should take a week to organize everything. During that meeting, the entire clan will gather and decide who'll replace Yahiko as the clan head. Of course, Shinji would probably be the favored candidate. He's popular among the younger members of the Dewaya and he's technically the nearest senior member of the clan."

Naruto paused to consider his options. He could eliminate Shinji from the equation, but he was tired of killing people left and right because they stood in his way. Additionally, he didn't want to fall in the old habit Hashi warned him about. Specifically, using people towards his own ends. His second option was persuading Shinji to subjugate himself to Naruto, but again this was too much in alliance with the old habit. His third option would be to make himself the next leader of the Dewaya.

It wasn't entirely impossible, assuming Naruto found a way to make himself the best choice. That would require convincing the entire clan to support but he didn't exactly come off as a favorite in the clan. The senior members were already skeptical about having him in the clan. If he were to try and claim the top seat, the results would be disastrous at best. Naruto rubbed the bridge of his noise between his fingers, annoyed with how little choice he had.

"Who would be the most important deciders?" Naruto asked.

"The Saiko-komon, the Wakagashira, the Shateigashira, the fuku-honbucho and the so-honbucho. Shinji is the de facto Saiko-komon, but he's not the kind to give himself promotions. Han is the wakagashira, but he runs a semi-independent operation outside the village which doubles as a private security firm. He'll probably refuse a nomination since he's declined twelve in the past."

"So aside from Shinji and this Han, is there anyone I should worry about?" Naruto asked, to which Haku shook his head. Naruto nodded and definitively said, "Alright, I guess I don't have much choice. I'll have to vie for the position of Oyabun."

Haku smiled nervously, and ushered a warning to Naruto, "Be sure to take care of yourself, Naruto. The candidates are known to become very competitive when it comes to vying for the top slot. In the past, this led to full scale gang wars like in the Land of Waves with Gatou. Personally, I think you should put yourself in a position to win."

"How would I do that?" Naruto asked stupidly.

"Befriend another clan," Haku answered, "The Hyugas, the Inuzuka, the Akamichi, the Aburame, the Nara, the Sarutobi, and the Yamanaka clans are the more prominent shinobi clans in the village. The more prominent Ninkyo Dantai in Konoha are: the Dewaya who are a subsidiary of the Kuroihi Syndicate, the Chikin who are a subsidiary of Enkou Syndicate, and the Kaki Konoha who represent the Kaki Alliance."

"You want me to make friends with the guys who want me dead?" Naruto retorted sarcastically. Haku shrugged, "Yes and no. You don't have to befriend all of them. You just need to get on their good side to give yourself some leverage when the decision is made. You're already friends with one of them. That Konohamaru is the grandson of the Third Hokage and a member of the Sarutobi Clan."

Naruto stood up and headed towards the door, "Yeah, but being friends with a little kid isn't going to give me much leverage."

"Where are you going?"

"Out," Naruto said as he donned his goggles over his face, "I want to go clear my head and figure how I'll take the top seat."

Haku nodded and returned to sifting through the boxes of papers. Naruto cracked a tired yawn and departed out of the apartment.

…………

"You don't mind if I walk beside you, do you Hinata?" Sasuke asked. Hinata wasn't sure how to take the question, and answered only with a brief nod. Sasuke was somewhat neurotic around Hinata since the second stage of the Chunin Exam. They were supposed to be spending the month preparing for the next stage of the Chunin Exam, but Hinata was unable to will herself to do so and Sasuke seemed to prefer to be around her as of late. Not that Hinata complained about Sasuke's presence since his company was better than nothing. Ever since she beat Neji during the Preliminaries, most of her clan had chosen to alienate her completely and the citizens of the village all gave her suspicious glances. Even her father and sister refused to be in the same room as her.

She and Sasuke continued walking down the street aimlessly, but every few seconds she could feel Sasuke's gaze on her. Something she would usually catch with a sideways glance in his direction. Each time, Sasuke looked away which puzzled Hinata. His behavior was certainly different from before, where they were complete strangers. If Hinata didn't know any better, she would think he had some sort of crush on her. A ridiculous notion considering he was the sole heir of his clan and a popular guy at that. He could have his pick of any girl in the village and there were better girls out there.

Hoping to lighten the already tense air between them, Hinata asked Sasuke, "How's that mark on your shoulder?"

"It's fine," Sasuke replied blandly, "Kakashi-sensei sealed it after the preliminary. He couldn't remove it, but he said the mark won't work as long as I can resist it."

"That's good," Hinata answered with an uncertain relief, "I was worried."

"You were?" Sasuke asked in a low tone, as if he were asking a taboo question. Hinata nodded, "Yes. After all, we're a team. You, Sakura and I make team 7."

"Right, team," Sasuke sighed dejectedly.

Hinata sighted the Ichiraku Ramen ahead and immediately thought, _His favorite restaurant. _She realized she hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch because of her haste to leave her family's manor. Without a second thought, she walked inside with Sasuke in tow behind her. There was already another patron inside; a black suited gangster from the Dewaya.

"You look really familiar, you know that?" Teuchi said from behind the counter to this other patron, "Ah well, I guess you're not going to reply. Hello there Lady Hinata, Sasuke. You two have been hanging around each other a lot lately."

Hinata heard an a hushed grunt come from Sasuke as a response. Again, Hinata was dumbstruck and chose to take her seat quickly instead of responding. Sasuke took a seat beside her, opposite the other patron, and folded his hands on the table. Teuchi lowered the flame on some of the pots and gleefully asked, "Okay you two, what will it be?"

"I'll have a beef ramen," Hinata ordered quietly. Between his hands, Sasuke muttered, "Just some rice."

Teuchi nodded and went to work on his pots, quietly grunting, "I don't see why you ever bother coming in Sasuke. You only ever order rice. So, are you sure you've never eaten here before? I swear, you look familiar and I never forget a face."

The other patron responded by sliding his bowl to the side and saying, "More please."

Teuchi sighed and set another bowl down in front of this other customer, "You're really not the talker. Ah well, I can take a hint. I'll leave you be."

Hinata took this chance to steal a glance at the other patron. She felt her heart skip a beat when her eyes rested on the blonde haired Naruto, his goggles concealing his eyes and the collar of his shirt concealing his cheeks. Naruto quietly stared at the bowl, an empty gaze on his face as if to say he were somewhere else.

Hinata immediately looked away, trying to hide how red her face became. After all this time, she still couldn't look at Naruto without her face flushing. She wasn't certain about her feelings towards him anymore. She loved his indefinite courage and self-determination, but she hated that he abandoned his dream to become a gangster. In spite of it, she couldn't control herself from taking another sideways glance at him. He was eating the noodles slowly, as if he were a depraved addict savoring every last drop of his addiction.

He dropped his noodles halfway through and pushed the bowl aside, "Thanks for the ramen."

He set the money down on the counter and brushed past Hinata, so close she swore she heard him say, "Meet me at the training grounds at around 8 o'clock tonight, alone."

Before Hinata could reply, she found Naruto to be long gone. A quick activation of her byakugan told her he was already long gone. He couldn't have used a transformation because she would have noticed it. AS far as she knew, he had disappeared into the large crowd of people. But did he really say those words or did she just wanted to think he said it. Whatever the case, Hinata found herself unwittingly nodding in silent agreement.

"Is something wrong Hinata?" Sasuke asked her in a low mutter. Hinata shook her head, "No…nothing."

Teuchi set down the bowl of ramen in front of her and a bowl of rice in front of Sasuke. They started into their meal and quietly departed when they were finished, with Hinata leading while Sasuke followed closely beside her. Hinata wasn't aware at the time, but she was walking straight towards the village training grounds. When she finally realized where she was, she looked straight at three logs where Kakashi-sensei had conducted the bell exam. A little ways ahead was a series of targets drawn onto the nearby trees where genin and academy students came to practice their kunai throws. The trees were scratched and marked all around the target, partially decorated with half stuck kunai or shuriken that the academy students couldn't remove.

She retrieved one from the tree bark and examined it carefully. She wasn't exactly sure why she was doing it. Maybe it was boredom. She immediately forgot about the kunai when she felt Sasuke's presence behind her and heard him say, "Hinata, I want to fight you."

Hinata dropped the kunai, her mouth hanging wide open at Sasuke's proclamation. She blinked in disbelief and repeated, "What?"

"I…need…to prove something to myself," Sasuke said awkwardly, something Hinata was unable to fathom. Was he actually nervous or was she imagining it? More importantly, what exactly did Sasuke mean by prove something to himself? Before Hinata could ask, Sasuke already struck by thrusting a kunai knife at her.

Hinata reacted by grabbing Sasuke's arm at the elbow and redirecting the kunai away from her. Hinata then leapt away from Sasuke before asking, "Sasuke, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Hinata," Sasuke said with a mix of sincerity and indifference, "I have to do this!"

After a series of handsigns, he curled his hand over his mouth and said, "Katon! Gokakyu no jutsu!"

A giant wave of fire shot out of Sasuke's mouth and straight towards Hinata. Hinata narrowly avoided it by using a substitution with a nearby rock. With the element of surprise in her favor, Hinata activated her byakugan and raced behind Sasuke. Sasuke was preoccupied with the scanning the area for Hinata, which put Hinata at a greater advantage since his sharingan wasn't as powerful as her byakugan.

Once behind Sasuke, she charged forward with her chakra collecting around both arms, "Juho Shosiken!"

Sasuke turned in time to see Hinata charging forward and activated his sharingan. When Hinata saw the red iris surrounded by two coma-like marks, she knew right away to transfer her chakra into her hands. It was an annoyance to cancel the technique, but it was the only way to preserve the clan secrets. Once her chakra was gathered in her fingertips, she took aim at the chakra points at his shoulders. If she could paralyze his arms, she would be able to stop him without having to inflict any further harm.

"Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!" Sasuke shot a series of fireballs at her. Hinata diverted her attack away, narrowly dodging each of the fireballs before recomposing herself to take the defensive. Sasuke had already unveiled a giant shuriken, although where he acquired it was beyond Hinata's understanding. He threw the shuriken at her, and she abandoned her defensive stance to move out of its path. A shuriken that large couldn't be blocked by anything smaller than it, making moving out of its path the only logical conclusion. Before she get her wits about her, another giant shuriken appeared. This one blocked her path, trapping her as a the first shuriken changed course mid-flight. She had nowhere to go, and she would certainly by killed by both. She resigned herself to her imminent doom, overwhelmed by the hundreds of emotions flowing through her at one time: fear, anger, sorrow, happiness, regret, and many more she didn't have time to comprehend.

"Hinata!" Sasuke's voice boomed. Hinata was prepared for death, only it did come. A giant blast of chakra appeared out of the trees and incinerated both shuriken. Overcome by her near death experience, Hinata collapsed backwards onto the ground. She felt her heart pounding against her chest and moved her hand over it in the vein hope of stopping it.

Sasuke was already at her side when she came to her senses, shaking her, "Hinata! Are you okay? I…I'm…I didn't…"

"Sasuke…" was all Hinata could manage, still overcome by surprise, "Did…you…"

"DAMMIT!" a familiar voice growled somewhere in the distance. Hinata and Sasuke turned their heads in the direction of its origin, somewhere deep in the forest. It came from the same direction as the blast of chakra. Hinata and Sasuke exchanged surprised looks before racing off in the same direction, towards the voice and the source of the chakra blast.

Hinata's first thought was a spy or a stalker of sorts, although which of them was being spied upon was anyone's guess. They went about 100 meters before stumbling along another clearing where Hinata spotted Naruto lying on the ground with his hands wrapped around the back of his head. He was groaning rather audibly, rose to his feet and cursed loudly. He walked a few paces over to a crimson red sword which he angrily picked up and threw across the field.

He stood there, scowling angrily at the blade with a disgusted look on his face before removing his coat, his goggles, folding up his sleeves and unbuttoning his shirt. He walked towards the stream, reached into the water with his hands, and took a few drinks of water. He then splashed some onto his face and stared down at his reflection. From where they stood, Hinata could see the scar on the right side of his face; a memento of Sasuke's actions during the Land of Waves. However, that wasn't what stood out at her. It was his eyes. They were no longer the cerulean blue she remembered. They were now a perfect purple, although how it happened remained a mystery to her.

"It's Naruto," Sasuke said in a low whisper, "But what's he doing out in the open like this?"

"Okay, one more time," Naruto said aloud to no one in particular. He retrieved the sword from the other side of the clearing and took a stance, holding the sword out in front of him and leaning forward with one leg in front of another. Hinata couldn't understand what he was doing until she saw the chakra solidify around him. He was producing so much chakra that it was visible to the naked eye without her byakugan. Hinata didn't know what to make of the scene before her, whether it was an elaborate training technique or if he was simply putting on a well-rehearsed display was anyone's guess. Suddenly, the chakra all traveled into his katana and caused it to vibrate violently in his hand.

A strained look crossed Naruto's face as he struggled to maintain his hold on the sword. After a few seconds, the chakra burst out of the katana in two opposing directions: one in the direction the sword was pointing and another towards Naruto. It nailed him square in the chest and sent him reeling backwards into a tree. Naruto was on in his feet in seconds, rubbing his back and soarly grunting, "I guess Haku was right. I don't have good chakra control."

He picked up the sword and reversed his grip on the handle, holding the katana so the blade pointed down and away from him. He moved in their direction and stopped a few feet away, unnerving the both of them. Hinata whispered, "Do you think he saw us?"

She received her answer in the form of a full on sprint right towards them. Hinata and Sasuke were on the verge of slipping away silently but paused when the saw Naruto veer towards a tree and race up its trunk. After scaling about five feet, he scratched the bark with his katana and leapt off. He landed on his feet with little effort and examined his handi-work, "Damn, it still too far from the top."

Naruto made a set of hand signs and immediately raced up the tree again. Once again, he scratched the bark with his katana and leaped off, "I gained an inch. It's a start I guess."

"Is he practicing tree climbing?" Sasuke and Hinata said to each other at the same time. Neither of them knew what to think. Naruto wasn't a ninja, at least not officially, and yet he was practicing ninjutsu which was more ironic given that he was now a member of the Kuroihi, a yakuza clan. Yakuza and Shinobi never really got along, especially since their styles and teachings always conflicted. One broke the law, another enforced it. They were as different as night and day, yet Naruto was here combining the two. What did it mean?

"Hinata, use your byakugan," Sasuke said definitively. Hinata looked at him, "What?"

"I don't like the look of this," Sasuke explained bitterly, "He wouldn't be stupid enough to let himself be caught so easily. I think this is a trap to lure out the more reckless shinobi."

"Oh, right," Hinata agreed and activated her byakugan. Nothing in particular stood out at her: there were no signs of others in the clearing. In fact, all she saw were Sasuke, Naruto and herself. Then she spotted a fourth chakra signature in front of Naruto. It wasn't like any other she had ever seen before, emitting a malicious blood red glow. Just looking at it made her uneasy. The strangest part was that it seemed to be inside the katana. Or, more accurately, it was the katana's chakra signature.

"Well?" Sasuke asked.

"Nothing, he's the only one here," Hinata answered, "It's just us. But, there's also a fourth chakra signature. It's inside his katana."

"Inside his katana? Wouldn't that make it his?" Sasuke pointed out.

"No, this one is different from his," Hinata replied, "It's like it's the katana's own chakra signature."

"How can a katana have its own chakra signature?"

"RAH!" Naruto growled, scratching the tree bark. She turned her attention onto Naruto's progress and was surprised to see he already added a full fifteen feet over his previous five foot mark. She couldn't explain how he made so much progress so quickly. Naruto was already on the ground, preparing to scale the tree again when she saw something that made her heart skip a beat. Naruto collapsed face down onto the ground. Hinata's byakugan revealed a decrease chakra flow to his heart and, upon further inspection, she realized his heart stopped beating.

"What just happened?" Sasuke asked no one in particular. Hinata rushed towards Naruto without answering Sasuke's question. She was at his side in seconds, using her byakugan to find the chakra points around his heart. Focusing her chakra into her hands, she was able to close and then reopen those chakra points at high speed. It was the anatomical equivalent to jump starting a dead body. His heart started beating instantly, moving the blood in and out of his body.

Naruto's body convulsed, he opened his eyes and immediately began gasping for breath. He sat up immediately and grabbed his chest with his hand. He coughed and hacked violently before collapsing back onto the ground, breathing heavily, "What happened?"

"You're heart stopped beating," Hinata said meekly, finally realizing how close she was to Naruto, "I…um...restarted it."

"Idiot," Sasuke said, appearing on the other side of Naruto, "You strained your heart by burning through all your chakra. That was pretty much the entire first week of the academy, or were you not paying attention like you always do?"

"Shut up Sasuke," Naruto growled, grabbing his chest painfully, "Wait…why are you here?"

"I could ask you the same question," Sasuke answered, crouching down to gain a better view of him, "So, why are you here?"

"I thought I asked you to come alone at 8," Naruto whispered to Hinata. Hinata recalled the words he said to her, and immediately began stumbling over words to reply to him. Naruto gave her an angry look that slowly turned into disappointment. Naruto heaved a heavy sigh and massaged the bridge of his nose, "Thanks…for saving me."

"You…you're…wel…come," Hinata managed to say, unnerved by Naruto's sudden gratitude. She wasn't sure whether to be happy or mad. She did have feelings for Naruto at one point, but now she wasn't so certain about it. Perhaps it was just habit to stutter in his presence.

"Well, since you're both here, I might as well explain," Naruto grunted, folding his arms across his chest, "You two might want to sit for this."

Hinata and Sasuke exchanged confused looks, sitting beside one another in front of Naruto. Naruto scratched his chin silently before saying four words that Hinata never expected, "I need your help."

Hinata felt her jaw drop. Naruto just asked for her help and she wasn't sure if she wanted to give it. She would have gladly helped him before, when she was certain of her affection for him. But now, how could she know? There was silence between the three of them for the longest time, broken only by Sasuke's immediate skepticism, "What?"

"I know you have your doubts, but I'm serious," Naruto answered grimly, "It's complicated, so I'll save you the boring details and get to the point: the Dewaya are leaderless at the moment and are holding an election to appoint a new one. I'm going to make a bid for that position, and I need the backing of both the Uchiha and the Hyuga to guarantee I win."

"So you want us to just kill the other candidates?" Hinata pressed bitterly. Naruto shook his head, "Nothing like that. I don't want to drag you two down with me, I just want you two to come to the meeting and pretend you support my bid."

"Why on Earth would we help you?" Sasuke asked. Naruto frowned, "I don't expect you to. To be honest, I wasn't certain you would come at all. The fact of the matter is if I don't succeed in taking over the Dewaya, then all hell will break loose."

"What do you mean by 'all hell will break loose'," Hinata said with an unmistakably cynical tone.

"I mean, a gang war might break out if I don't assume control of the Dewaya," Naruto explained his voice growing lower, "Tensions are high as it is and if anyone finds out about Oyabun's death before we can get a new leader in place, there will be hell to pay."

"Yeah right," Sasuke answered sarcastically, "I bet you're going to cause another gang war when you take control of the Dewaya anyway. Like in the Land of Waves."

"Those circumstances were different," Naruto said, "My intent is the same though, I'm just trying to set things straight. The only difference is I need your help this time."

"No strings attached?"

"No strings. Just show up at the meeting with me and voice your support for my candidacy. If they think I have some influence with the Uchiha and Hyuga, then they'll definitely make me the next leader of the clan. Afterwards, we can go our separate ways and you two will never hear from me again."

Another short silence. Hinata could not believe the words coming from Naruto's mouth. He wanted to assume control of the Dewaya but he wasn't exactly being clear on his intentions. But what why exactly did he want their help? There were many other shinobi clans in Konoha, so what made them special?

"I take your silence as a no?" Naruto half said, half asked.

"No, it's not that…it's…um," Hinata began to stutter again, trying to explain herself to him, "It's…well…"

"I'm sorry I wasted your time," Naruto said blandly. He retrieved his coat, rearranged his clothes, and went to leave the clearing. She suddenly gave chase after him, grabbing him by the shoulder and turning him around as he reached the edge of the clearing. Her face as red as a beet, she stammered out, "Naruto…I'll help you."

"Hinata?" Naruto had the most surprised look on his face, or so it seemed given the goggles masked half of his face.

"I…I'll help you, Naruto," Hinata stuttered. Naruto adjusted the goggles just over his eyes. He looked at Hinata's eyes, and she into his. She was dumbstruck, embarrassed by her sudden boldness. Were it not so, she would have noticed his eyes were blue again instead of purple. With a faint smile, he said, "Thank you Hinata. And you Sasuke?"

Sasuke crossed his arms, standing directly behind them. He mulled the idea over for a few seconds before responding, "Do I have a choice?"

Naruto nodded, a thankful smile on his face, "The meeting will be in a week. Go to the Dewaya Office in Konoha's Market District. You cant miss it. Wear something formal: kimono, yukata, whatever. Make sure it has the clan symbol on it. And, again, thanks."

He covered his eyes with his goggles and thanked them again before disappearing into the woods. Hinata gazed at the direction he left for the longest time, unmoving; unaware of the world around her. After some time, Sasuke said, "You love him, don't you?"

"I-" Hinata tried to form the words but couldn't find the energy to do so. Sasuke wore a hurt expression on his face, "I saw how you looked at him Hinata. I just want to know why."

"I…I'm not sure," Hinata said, her tone dismal, "I don't know what I feel for Naruto anymore. I did like him once, but I'm not sure anymore."

"So you hate him?" Sasuke asked.

"I…I don't know," was all Hinata could say. Sasuke seemed satisfied and quietly went on his way without saying a word. Hinata felt torn between her confused feelings for Naruto and Sasuke's sudden disappointment. Maybe he did like her. Unfortunately, the byakugan couldn't look into the hearts or minds of others. She left the clearing last, feeling more alone than ever.

……………

Naruto's spirits were uplifted. He had secured the backing of both Hinata and Sasuke, albeit Sasuke was an unexpected bonus. He wasn't big on the idea of asking him for help, but if Sasuke was willing, Naruto wasn't going to argue. Now he just had to find two more people and convince them to give their support: Sarutobi Konohamaru and Gamakichi.

…………

**Author's Notes: **Well, another chapter over and done with. I know it was short, but please bare with me for the time being. After all, health care is not a job to be taken lightly. My next update will be in six weeks on Friday, August 14th. If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	29. Election

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as a cartoon by Viz Media. The Art of War is the published text of Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicates, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Notes: **Hey again everyone. Thanks for dealing with my otherwise busy schedule. I'm once again going through the transition of returning to school while working. Needless to say, Healthcare is a very exhausting and needs a lot of commitment on my part. Thanks again for all your comments, reviews, support, and favorites. Please bear with any spelling/grammar errors for now since none of my betas got back to me. Now on to review responses:

**DarkRavie: **Thank you for kind words.

**Senyor Fier Mensheir: **Well thank you for that. I'm not sure if one would say this story has substance, but whatever works for you.

**T3KO: **Kinda sorta, its really closer to sexual tension arising out of his current relationship with Hinata. That is, Hinata is currently filling the position Naruto filled in the cannon story. That is, he thinks of Hinata as a best friend/rival. This is complicated by her gender, which confuses him into questioning whether his feelings for her are romantic or friendly.

**Shadow-Sensei: **Wish your little brother a happy birthday for me. Don't worry about speculations since I think I am literally on the last leg of this story at the moment. That aside, as I said above, Sasuke sees Hinata as a best friend/rival that is complicated by sexual tension, which confuses him into thinking he may love her.

**All Nightmare Long: **Believe me, I was run ragged a long time ago. Right now, I just want to get the chapters done on schedule.

**Tedlay: **And it was an honor to have you as a reader.

**I Can't Think of a Good Name34: **I aim to please! The hinted Sasuhina and intended NaruHina will lead to a lot of tension in the later chapters.

**Peter Kim: **Maybe. Although I note that you have a lot of hatred towards Sasuke. You have to understand Sasuke isn't a bad person. He's merely been misled his whole life, making him confused and angry all at the same time. Especially since this is a world of espionage and deceit which breeds a lot of hate and creates more tension.

**Faroush: **Who says there isn't? The Akatsuki are, like most of the gangs I've introduced, criminals. Additionally, the part of the story involving the Akatsuki (the second arc) will not be entirely Naruto's story.

**Rajvir: **Thank you for the kind words.

And now, without further ado, I present the next chapter of Takato's Light.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 29: Election**

A quick stroll to Konohamaru's house proved fruitless for Naruto. The boy wasn't home nor were his parents. He proceeded to the shinobi academy and found the students pacing around the track field. They were gasping for breath, while an unconcerned Iruka pestered them to run faster. Among them, Naruto caught a glimpse of Konohamaru running side by side with Moegi and Udon. As Konohamaru came to the turn in the track, he caught sight of Naruto and his face lit up. Naruto pressed a finger against his lips and Konohamaru nodded in understanding.

Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon raced past him. Naruto slipped behind the old tree from which the swing hung. He waited patiently as each of the students slowly finished their laps. He prayed that Konohamaru and his friends didn't finish last, otherwise there would be no time for him to talk to them.

"Hey Boss, what's up?" Konohamaru said from behind the tree. Naruto sighed, "I thought I told you to stop calling me that. Listen, you three huddle up beneath the tree so it looks like you're just talking to each other."

He heard the scuffling of feet and immediately knew they had followed his orders, "Konohamaru, do you think you can go the office next week?"

"Hmm? What for?"

"I need your help," Naruto said cautiously, only to earn an excited, "Really?"

Naruto shushed him and answered, "Yes, the leader of the gang died and I'm trying to get voted as the new leader."

"So how do you want my help?"

"Just come to office wearing something nice: kimono, yukata, business suit. Make sure it has the Sarutobi clan's symbol on it. If they think I have your clan's backing, it doubles my chances."

"Okay, so it's next week?"

"It's today, one week from now."

"Alright."

Naruto bid them farewell and quickly made himself scarce. He next had to find the one called Gamakichi. He wasn't sure how he was going to do that but he surmised finding Jiraiya would help.

…………

"What the? You again?" Jiraiya screamed aloud, "How did you find me?"

"Gee, I don't know. How did I find a pervert?" Naruto answered sarcastically, "It wasn't that hard. All I did was walk around the women's bath house."

"Wha-"

"Just tell me where I can find Gamakichi and I'll be on my way," Naruto said before Jiraiya could get a word in edge wise. Clearly insulted, Jiraiya childishly said, "And what makes you think I'm going to help you find Gamakichi?"

"What makes you think I was asking?" Naruto replied dangerously. Jiraiya angrily replied, "Listen you little punk! Beat it before I kick your little butt down the street!"

"Wouldn't that be nice? A grown man beating up a kid," Naruto answered bitterly. Jiraiya instantly picked him up by the shoulders, "I'll show you a grown man beating a kid."

Before Naruto could do anything else, Jiraiya threw him into a giant pot and sealed it with a block of wood. A soft thud echoed from the top of the pot. Consumed by the darkness, Naruto beat against the wooden block in a vain effort to escape from the small prison but found it did not budge. The soft thud he heard a few seconds ago was clearly a heavy weight the man placed to keep Naruto from escaping.

"Damn that old man," Naruto cursed silently. He began rocking his body back and forth, hoping to tip the jar one way or another. If he was lucky, whatever was on top would slide off and he could get out. A few seconds into his rocking, he felt the pot tip backwards before landing on the ground. Whatever was on top slid off and the wooden board fell away for Naruto to climb out.

He emerged to find Jiraiya long gone, and he no closer to finding Gamakichi. Annoyed Naruto went off for the nearest bath house, hoping to catch the old pervert there. Unsurprisingly, he found the old man in plain sight, staring straight through a small hole in the wall, "Ooh yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!"

"Hey old man!" Naruto growled threateningly. Jiraiya leered at Naruto, "Oh, you again. I'm still not going to help you, you know."

"Why not?"

"Because you're interrupting my research!" Jiraiya hissed before returning to the small hole in the wall.

"Research? You mean being a voyeur?" Naruto asked sarcastically, earning him a scoff, "A little boy like you wouldn't understand the importance or the value of my work. Now hurry along before I throw you in another jar."

"Can you just tell me where Gamakichi is?" Naruto pleaded.

"Look kid, Gamakichi is a member of a prestigious summon clan. He doesn't have time to waste with a little boy like you."

"Prestigious?"

"You really are clueless aren't you? The Gama Clan is one of the greatest summon clans in the world of ninja, not that a gangster like you would know anything about that. I'd probably waist my time explaining it so why don't you just get lost and leave me to my work."

"Not until you give me Gamakichi."

Jiraiya sighed, "Alright, if it means that much to you I'll bring him out. But I don't want you to bother me again!"

Jiraiya bit his thumb to let some blood out and ran through a series of hand signs. He finished by slamming his palm into the ground, sending black markings out in all directions and a cloud of smoke emerging beneath his palm. When the smoke cleared, Naruto caught sight of the little orange toad he had been looking for, "Hey Jiraiya, what's u- oh, hey kid! How you doin'?"

"Alright, I brought him out," Jiraiya stated, "Now leave me alone so I can conduct my research."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto waved him off and picked up the toad. They went away quickly, disappearing around the corner while a bewildered Gamakichi asked, "What was that about?"

"Oh, nothing," Naruto assured the toad, "Anyway, I wanted to ask you about the Toad Summons."

"Hmm? You mean the Gama Clan? What did you want to know?"

"Whatever you can tell me," he answered eagerly. Gamakichi responded only with a perplex look that made him uneasy. Naruto remained adamant and said again, "Anything Gamakichi. I want to know everything I can about the Gamas."

"Why all the sudden interest?"

Naruto paused. He needed to calculate the value of the Gamas to his cause before he could figure out how they could help him. Saying that would probably cause Gamakichi to straight out lie and admitting he needed help was the last thing he wanted to do. Before he could even surmise an excuse, Gamakichi hopped off him and said, "Sorry kid, that's disclosed exclusively to those who can summon the Gamas."

"Excuse me?" Naruto said, his voice growing dangerous. Gama waved him off, "Don't worry! Do you still have that scroll I gave you?"

"Yes."

"Well that scroll acts as a make-shift summoning jutsu. It's only good three times so use it wisely. When its opened, it automatically summons Gama. He's a quiet guy but I'm sure he'll be able to help you."

"Gama?"

"Yep."

"Of the Gama Clan?" Naruto retorted. Gamakichi nodded. Naruto scoffed, "Gamakichi, what do you take me for? An idiot? Am I really supposed to believe there's someone in your clan named Gama?"

"If you don't believe me, see for yourself. Now tell me why you have all this sudden interest?"

"I…um…"

"Let me guess, you want to be able to summon the Gamas. Am I right?" Gamakichi guessed. Naruto paused for a second to consider his options. If he could summon the Gamas, then he would already have their services at his disposal. But there was no telling how much skill he would need to acquire just to summon one of the smaller gamas. Still, being able to summon them at his disposal wasn't something he could easily refuse. Although with a hint of hesitation, Naruto found himself nodding.

Gamakichi decided to hop off Naruto and said, "Well alright, the first thing you have to do is sign the scroll with your name in blood."

"My blood?"

"Consider it a sacrifice that seals the deal," Gamakichi said assuringly.

"Okay, so where is this scroll?"

Gamakichi froze, "uh…I don't know. Maybe we should ask Jiraiya."

And with those five words, Naruto immediately decided he would be better off without the ability to summon the toads. He would die and go to hell before he ever had to deal with the perverted old man again. Naruto was already walking away when Gamakichi hopped along side him, "Hey, where are you going?"

"Home."

"What about signing the contract?"

"I am not dealing with the old man!" Naruto said, "He's…uh, I'm too frustrated to think of a word to describe him."

"Yeah, I agree," Gamakichi said, "But he's a good guy when you get to know him. He is a bit…different, but you just need to give him a chance. Besides, you might enjoy training under him. He wasn't kidding when he said he was the Great Gama Sennin. He's both the great Gama Sennin and one of the Legendary Sannin."

"Don't care, he's obnoxious," Naruto said definitively. Gamakichi hopped up onto his head and laughed, "Wow, you really hate him. Well I don't really feel like going back to Mt. Myobokuzan yet. Mind if hang around? I don't feel like peeping with Jiraiya."

"Why not," Naruto frowned. HE agreed with Gamakichi's sentiments whole heartedly. Anything was better than being around the old pervert. Naruto was certain he knew why the old man peeped. He probably never got to be with any woman in his life so he had to resort to perversion to fulfill those needs. OF course this was Naruto's hypothesis and not the truth. However, he returned to his apartment with a certainty that he was right.

……………

One week seemingly passed at a crawl. Gamakichi spent the entire time at Naruto's side, claiming he didn't want to go back to the old pervert despite his suspicions of ulterior motives. Naruto, who no longer had to disguise himself as Yahiko, witnessed first hand what the news of his death meant. Hana was in a state of shock, moving back into the Dewaya Office without another thought. She spoke very little and claimed nothing was wrong despite the expression on her face that betrayed her words. The receptionist Yahiko was with in tears when he last saw her, refusing to meet anyone's gaze and disappearing from work when she received the words. If rumors were true, she locked herself in her apartment and was refusing to leave.

A flood of complaints immediately swamped Shinji and requests for additional protection as the Kaki, the Enkou, and every small time gang in Konoha began moving in on the Dewaya's territory. The Konoha nin began a series of crack downs on any form of gang activity in preparation of the Chunin Exam's final test. Shinji did his best to handle the growing pressure but was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Miji made no attempt to patch things up with the gang, instead going to visit the receptionist at her apartment only to be turned away.

Naruto was quickly pulled off his vacation in favor of helping strengthen the declining number of Dewaya. Some of the members began deserting the clan in favor of joining the Kaki or the Enkou. In that time three violent attacks occurred, each of which ended with at least five people dead and ten arrested by the village shinobi.

Despite what everyone wanted to believe, it was obvious the entire village was already in the midst of a tense gang war. Ironically, it was less of a war and more of a massacre as the Dewaya slowly lost whatever footing they had.

On the day of the election, the remaining high-ranked Dewaya gathered together in the office while the lower ranked stood guard outside. Among them was a man in a black jumpsuit lined with yellow trim. Emblazoned on the back was a white dragon that doubled as a holster for his katana. His hair was tied back in a bun, clearly displaying the scars on his face. His escort consisted of two younger men dressed in similar clothes except with sun glasses. Haku explained the man was Han, and his two escorts were his personal body guards. Several other men came, whom Haku listed off as the other senior members of the clan.

One guest Naruto did not expect was none other than Hashi-sensei himself. Hashi did not look at Naruto once when he appeared. He grazed past Naruto and rushed inside the office immediately.

Naruto came to the office dressed in his standard Kuroihi attire, while Haku was adorned in his casual kimono and mask. After Hashi's arrival, Haku made his way inside while Naruto said he wanted a moment to get some fresh air. Haku nodded in understanding and proceeded inside.

Naruto took the moment to sigh and wait. The clan meeting was going to begin soon and neither Hinata, Sasuke or Konohamaru had appeared. He was getting anxious. Did he forget to tell them the time? He did, didn't he? How could he have forgotten something so important? There wasn't enough time for him to find all of them before the meeting began. He would have to go it alone.

He was about to walk back inside and tell Haku that he would have to abandon the plan when he heard Hinata's voice behind him, "Um…Naruto."

Naruto spun on his heels to see Hinata in a beautiful white-silk kimono. Her short hair was tied to the back of her head, showing every detail of her face to Naruto. He never noticed it before; not in the academy, not in the Land of Waves, or when he spoke with her a few weeks ago; but she was very pretty. He found it mesmerizing at first, but quickly shook his head and reminded himself that he had work to do.

"Hey Hinata, you're just in time," he said, "Where's Sasuke?"

"I don't know," she murmured, "Is this alright? You did ask me to wear a kimono with the clan symbol but out clan doesn't really have one."

"That's alright," Naruto said, "You have your clan's eyes so that should be enough for them. Now if Sasuke and Konohamaru would get here."

"Konohamaru...you invited Konohamaru?" Hinata asked critically, a shocked expression on her face, "Naruto, Konohamaru's just a kid-"

"And we aren't?" he cut her off, knowing immediately where she was going, "I didn't bully him into coming. He agreed of his own free will."

"Naruto, I didn't mean-"

"Never mind, here he comes now," Naruto said, pointing out the familiar figure of Konohamaru racing towards him. Unlike Hinata, Konohamaru was dressed in his normal attire. Notably, his scarf seemed exceedingly longer than normal.

"HEY BOSS!" he shouted, "I'm here like you asked!"

"I also asked you to wear something formal," Naruto stated with disappointment. Konohamaru shrugged, "I didn't have anything to wear."

"You could have at least worn something nice," Naruto reprimanded, earning an innocent, "What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?"

Naruto tried to hold himself back from saying everything. Dressed the way he was, Konohamaru wasn't going to leave much of an impression on the other gang leaders. Ignoring the fact that he was only nine, maybe ten, Naruto was already certain the council wouldn't be impressed by Naruto's choice to invite a child to the meeting. He sighed, deciding not to answer Konohamaru's question.

"Hm? Aren't you Hinata?" Konohamaru asked her.

"Yes," Hinata bowed respectfully, "It's an honor to meet you again Konohamaru."

"Uh, same here I think," Konohamaru scratched the back of his head, bowing as well. Naruto shook his head and folded his arms, "I don't think Sasuke's coming so we may as well go inside."

"I'm right here, idiot," Sasuke said from atop the roof. Before Naruto had time to look up, Sasuke was already beside him, "No wonder you dropped out of the academy. You didn't even notice me until I said something."

"I didn't drop out," Naruto responded indifferently, "And I'm not in the mood for belittlement."

A quick examination of his attire put a scowl on his face, "I thought I said wear something nice."

"You also said to wear something with the clan symbol," Sasuke said, turning around to show them the fan-like mark on the back of his shirt, "This should be good enough, besides, we're not trying to impress these guys."

"You're not, I am," Naruto corrected bitterly. Sasuke remained unimpressed, annoying Naruto even more. However, time was of the essence and he didn't feel like arguing pointlessly with him. He made a motion for them to follow and went inside.

There, he found Haku waiting for him outside the meeting room, "So they're all here?"

"It's you," Sasuke and Hinata said in unison, shocked by Haku.

"You're supposed to be dead!" Sasuke was the first to say.

"Hello to you too," Haku replied dismissively, "Are they all here?"

"Yes, although only one of them bothered to dress properly," Naruto stated with poorly concealed disapproval. Konohamaru was quick to express his anger, "I said I didn't have anything to wear!"

"So do you have a plan?" Sasuke asked. Naruto's head jerked to the side as he obliviously admitted, "I'm making this up as I go, now come on. The meetings already started."

Naruto quickly pushed the door open, ignoring their surprised faces as he went in first. He motioned for them to follow when he noticed they were still standing in awe at his lack of preparation. He said he needed their help, but he didn't even have a plan himself. More importantly, he just walked into the room head first without so much as a glance backwards. As soon as Naruto stepped in, they heard a hushed silence fall over the crowd. Whispers traveled in all directions as one of the men, the one Haku pointed out to be the Shateigashira, asked aloud, "What is this? Some kind of joke?"

"That's exactly what I was wondering," Hashi said. As Naruto examined the layout, he noticed everyone had taken a seat on a pillow positioned along the edge of the room while Hashi's seat was on the far back where Yahiko sat during Naruto's initiation. Beside him was an elderly man dressed in long white robes and a purple vest. His head was shaved bald and adorned the most passive expression he had ever seen. Naruto instantly concluded he was a priest.

He returned his attention to Hashi and said, "I could ask you the same thing Hashi-sensei."

A stir grew among the rest of the council as the shateigashira angrily scowled, "You will not refer to Boss Hashi with such disre-"

"It's alright," Hashi said, "I personally took Naruto as my student in the style of kenjutsu."

"Personally," the shateigashira said, examining Naruto closely, "I can see why, he looks remarkably like your-"

"That's enough," Hashi silenced the man, "Naruto, why are you here and who are your friends?"

"My friends are Sarutobi Konohamaru, Uchiha Sasuke, and Hyuga Hinata. They're here to offer their condolences for Yahiko's death. As for myself, I understand today the council is deciding who will succeed Yahiko as the Oyabun."

"You brought the heirs of three of Konoha's own shinobi clans to the meeting? What were you thinking!" Shinji asked from his seat. Another stir began across the room as everyone began to trade hushed whispers among one another. At this point Hashi stood up and raised his arms in the air to silence them all, "Will all of you calm down. Naruto, only senior clan members are allowed to make votes for this meeting."

"But there are no rules against spectating," Naruto noted, earning him some degree of dislike from the older clansmen. Hashi brushed his chin with his hand and chuckled, "I see. Well then, you and your friends can take a seat."

"Boss Hashi, you can't be serious?" one of the senior clansmen said. Hashi's face lit up, "I am very serious."

"But they're kids and only one of them is a Dewaya! This could be a trap!"

"Do you doubt me?"

The clansmen recoiled back, hesitant to answer the gang boss. He bowed to Hashi and said, "Please, sir, forgive my insolence."

"That's all well and good," Hashi said dismissively, continuing while Naruto and the others took seats on empty pillows in the corner of the room, "Now, as I was saying, Yahiko's death puts us in a very awkward position. We need to name a successor, and we need to name one now. As usual, the clan can put forth their candidate on the condition that the candidate consents to the nomination. However, only my approval or a three-quarters vote will decide the winner. Are there nominations who would like to come forth?"

"I nominate Shinji!" Miji muttered quietly, which earned quite the cheer from some of the other members. Shinji scratched the back of his head and said, "I thank you, but I must decline. I'm an accountant, not a fighter."

"Oh come on Shinji! You were the nominee before Yahiko and you turned that down too. Just accept already! We want you to lead and you're the best for the job, so why won't you do it?" one of the other clansmen pointed out, to which Shinji waved it off, "I'm going to level with all of you, I can make revenue go up and turn profits where most of us can only find depreciating value. But there isn't a lot I can do when push comes to shove. Let's face facts here: I'm a financial consultant, not a war leader. If you all want me to keep turning profits, I can do that. But if you want me to wage a war, my hands are tied."

There were tones of disapproval among them, but Hashi again had to silence them, "Are there any other nominees."

"I nominate Han Doragon," one of Han's subordinates stated. This nomination garnered some praise, although less than Yahiko's and only from some of the older members. Hashi nodded at Han, who calmly said, "I have no objections towards this nomination."

Hashi smiled seriously and asked, "Any others?"

Naruto and Haku exchanged momentary glances, which Naruto nodded to him as the time. As Haku said, the only real nominations were Shinji and Han. Shinji refused, as expected, but Han didn't. This would be problematic since Han would probably weigh in more favor than himself. Sighing, he gave Haku a nod who took the signal and spoke aloud, "I nominate Naruto."

A stunned silence followed. Everyone in the room had their eyes on Naruto and Haku with a mix of disbelief and surprise. Hashi, on the other hand, wore a disappointed frown and remained quiet. Then he heard a snicker, followed by chuckles, followed by mocking laughter. It was a noise that echoed in his mind and sent him on an unexpected road of nostalgia.

"_Idiot!"_

"_Dead Last"_

"_Loser!'_

_Dozens of small children laughing._

"_Look! I think he's going to cry!"_

_An angry face scowled at him._

"_Didn't you practice your Henge at all? That looks nothing like me!"_

"_Ha! That dork failed again!"_

"_Why don't you just give up!"_

"Naruto?"

Naruto came to his senses at the sound of Hinata's voice, and came to the realization that he was standing with his katana drawn. All eyes were on him with a mix of disapproval and spite. Even Hashi gazed at Naruto with uncertainty. His eyes said it all, he was both confused and disappointed. Naruto quickly replaced his katana in its scabbard and bowed, "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"Do you accept the nomination?" Hashi asked, which caused all heads to turn to him. Naruto nodded, "I do."

"Boss, you aren't seriously considering his nomination are you?" Han asked with a neutral tone.

"Why not? I'm sure you are all aware of the incident in the Land of Waves. Naruto, being the person he was, took the initiative to resolve the hostage situation. While he did stir up a gang war, it took very little to placate it. He may be young, but he has both thethis is unprecedented. ingenuity and the drive needed to be a leader."

"But a kid?" Miji stated, "This…boy isn't going to make the Dewaya look well. The Dewaya would be outcasts if we make him a leader!"

"Are you questioning me?" Hashi snapped, "Your behavior in the past few weeks is shameful to both yourself and the clan. You want to speak of making the Dewaya look bad, first you need to look at yourself."

Hashi's words seemed to strike a chord with Miji, who silently sunk back down in to his pillow without begging for forgiveness. Hoping for no further interruptions, Hashi asked, "Are there any others?"

There was a moment's silence which Hashi decided meant no and promptly said, "Okay then…two candidates: One a promising youth and the other a seasoned veteran. Both clearly have some powerful friends, political or physical. Who to choose."

"Naruto-" Hinata said aloud again, catching everyone's attention, "Choose Naruto."

"Why would I do that?" Hashi noted, "Yes, he has made some very prominent friends, but you're heirs not clan heads. Your political prowess is…limited at best. Besides which, you are all children. Aside from your clan's name, what makes you think your opinion has any weight in this room."

"Um…well…"

"Show some respect for the heir of the Hyuga Clan," Sasuke said aloud, his calm voice just barely containing the anger behind them. Naruto was thankful that they were at least making an effort to support his bid. However, he couldn't help but begin to think that this was starting to be a bad idea. He took a deep breath and did his best to remain calm.

"And who are you to talk, Uchiha?" Hashi barked with a warning tone, "As I recall, you don't even have a clan to inherit. Your entire clan is dead, save for you. You have even less standing than her, which is worsened by the fact that she is no longer the heir of the clan. As I recall, that right passed over to her younger sister."

Naruto heard Hinata's voice quiver at Hashi's words. Naruto was at a crossroads on how to respond. On the one hand, Hashi's words were definitely striking chords in both Hinata and Sasuke inclining him to step in and stop his sensei. Inversely, Hashi-sensei was the teacher so who was he to question his judgment. He didn't know which road to take, until he heard the indefinite sound of a stifled sob behind him. It was Hinata. Acting without thought, Naruto said, "Sensei, there's no need to belittle my friends. They just wanted to offer their condolences for Yahiko's death."

"Be that as it may, they should still know their place," Hashi reprimanded, "They have no authority here. They are children, genin no less, who have come to bid their prayers and nothing more. They should not come here and expect to be treated as royalty."

Naruto and Hashi stared each other down, filling the air with tension sensed by everyone in the room. An eternity passed, ending with Naruto bowing his head and Hashi nodding approvingly, "I suppose the natural path to take would be a vote. Do you all agree?"

Hushed agreements filled the room and Hashi silenced them again to ask, "All in favor of Han as the next clan leader?"

To no surprise on Naruto's surprise, a good number of people raised their hands. Hashi counted them out before asking, "All in favor of Naruto?"

This time, Naruto had to rub his eyes when he saw an equal number of hands go up. Did his eyes deceive him or were some members of the clan actually voting for him? He received his answer in the form of a disgruntled sigh from Hashi, "A perfect tie. That leaves one other alternative: a duel. Do both candidates accept?"

"Yes."

"What?" Naruto stuttered out. Hashi went on to explain, "Traditionally, whenever there is a perfect divide over who to choose as the next clan leader, there is a duel between the candidates to decide who will inherit the clan. It's a simple duel. The only weapon you will be allowed is your katana but there are no limitations on what techniques you use. The fight goes until one party is either dead or unable to continue. Do you accept?"

Naruto felt a lump forming in his throat and heard a voice in his head telling him to refuse. Strangely, he found himself nodding and rising off the pillow to meet Han. Naruto and Han met in the center of the room while everyone else stepped against the walls to give them room. Naruto glanced backwards at Haku, looking for some form of help only to be met with grim worry. In that instant, Naruto realized he was on his own and swallowed the lump in his throat. Han bowed before him, which Naruto returned.

"Please, try to die with some honor," Han said with his neutral tone before drawing his katana. Naruto did the same only to feel a stabbing sensation in his gut. A quick glance down told him he had been stabbed in the stomach, just below his rib cage by Han's katana. Naruto concluded Han was able to move faster than Naruto's eyes could follow. If such were the case, he was already a dead person. As he felt the blood leave his body, the world began to darken and sounds of the spectators echoed in his head. He couldn't explain it, but although he could somehow hear their voices as they spoke.

"That kid never stood a chance."

"Figures he'd go down in the first minute."

"Do you think Naruto's alright Haku?"

"I…I don't know."

Naruto's body became extremely heavy and his muscles buckled just to keep him aloft. The pain disappeared as Han drew the sword out of Naruto and replaced it in the sheath. His body became light and his head became dizzy as the world vanished into darkness. He felt himself in death's grasp, coming to his senses inside a giant sewer cluttered with rusting pipes and blood red water.

"Is this hell?" he said aloud to no one in particular, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"**Naruto…Uzumaki…**" a dark voice beckoned him from the other side of the hall. Naruto found himself drawn to the voice, unwittingly traversing down the hall towards a large room which held a giant, steel gate. Behind the gate was nothing but darkness. Over the gate's lock was a sign reading: Seal. What it meant, he didn't know.

"**Uzumaki Naruto…**" the dark voice boomed again. Slowly, a red chakra crept out from beyond the cage and began to take shape in front him. It molded itself into a perfect replica of Hakuoro, the grandson of Oboro. Hakuoro's eyes, however, were blood red and appeared more animal than human. Despite the size difference, Naruto was intimidated by the small boy who said, "**How dare you die! I will not allow myself to disappear because of your stupidity!**"

"Who are you?" Naruto asked, his voice shaking. The boy's presence seemed to chill the air around him, chilling him to the bone and robbing him of any content. The boy dissipated back into chakra and disappeared behind the gate, where a giant face appeared. It had the same eyes as the boy, only it wore a giant grin bearing ferocious animal teeth and a pair of long whiskers, "**I am the DEMON LORD! The Nine-Tailed Fox**."

"You mean the demon killed by the Fourth Hokage?" Naruto said skeptically, to which the giant face let out a loud roar, "**YOUR FOOL OF A HOKAGE COULD NEVER HOPE TO KILL ME**! **EVEN IF HE DID, IT WOULD NOT PREVENT MY RETURN! ALL HE COULD DO WAS SEAL ME AWAY TO BUY YOU AND YOUR VILLAGE MORE TIME!**"

"So what do you want with me?" Naruto asked, shaken by the demon's presence. The giant face could only growl and add, "**I want to buy myself more time. Because of your precious hokage, my life is now bound to yours. Every memory, every emotion, I am forced to suffer through as you live your life. I am trapped here watching you live your life, while living it at the same time. Your damned hokage made sure if you die, I will perish as well**. **Therefore, I intend to loan you some of my power**."

"What's the catch?" Naruto asked, his voice still shaking.

"**We can discuss that later…Now, you were dying**?"

Naruto felt himself thrown out of the room and into darkness again. The face disappeared behind the gate, along with the sewer. As he flew further backwards, he felt himself return to a world of agonizing pain and dizziness. The world was spinning uncontrollably fast, and yet, he found himself spurring with energy. Off to his side was his katana, just in reach for him. He grabbed it and took up an offensive stance. He couldn't explain how, but his pain was disappearing as more energy flooded into his body.

It was a strange strength that revitalized him. Before he knew what he was doing, he close the gap on Han whose back was turned. Before he could get a block in, Han parried his sword and kicked him backwards into the air. Naruto used the momentum to flip himself in the air and land on his feet, stopping just inches away from Konohamaru. Bringing his sword forward, Naruto rushed in fast and low. Hopefully, by hitting the leg, he would be able to slow down Han's reaction time. Just as he was about to take a swing on his leg, Han brought the sword down on top of him, prompting Naruto to veer to the side to avoid the blade.

He turned on his heels and made another attempt to go for the leg when he noticed what appeared to be a twitch in Han's left thumb. He dismissed it as nothing and thrust the sword at Han's knee, only to be parried again. Growing desperate, Naruto leapt back to put some distance between them. As Han brought his sword up to face, he saw his left thumb twitch again. He wasn't sure how or what, but that twitch must have meant something. He scanned his surroundings for some hint or clue as to its meaning when one of the clan members, an elderly gentleman in the Kuroihi suit sitting two seats to Hashi's left, who seemed to be a world away. His eyes were closed as he noiselessly muttered something, his arms put forward while each finger twitched at random intervals. Naruto was certain this had something to do with Han and slowly began stepping in the man's direction.

Han however, set his katana down in Naruto's path. Naruto met Han's katana with his own, knocking it up and out of his hands. Taking this chance, Naruto rushed towards the man only to be met in the gut by a swift kick. The wind rushed out of him, sending him to his knees on the ground. An unexplainable anger overtook him. He refused to back down, to lose to the like of this man. Rising back up on to his feet, Naruto nailed a punch square in the man's jaw.

Han recoiled backwards from Naruto's attack, but Naruto refused to stop there. Taking his katana, he took made a swing for Han's right knee. The blade connected, slicing deep into the joint between the two bones without drawing any blood. Naruto had no time to question why this was so and continued towards the old man. At least he did, until he felt his legs became binded and caused him to fall forward.

As he fell to the ground, he noticed Han was limp on the ground beside him, his body as limp as a noodle. Unsure of what to make of it, Naruto swung back onto his feet, losing balance temporarily because his legs still refused to move. Picking up his katana, he noticed the old man wore a panicked look on his face. Then it all clicked in his head. He had figured out what was going on. HE sliced the katana through the air and regained control of his legs. Rushing towards the old man, Naruto swung the blade up to his chin and declared, "You lose!"

The old man threw his hands into the air, causing the still limp Han to twitch on the ground. With a weak smile, he said, "Okay…I concede."

The room was silent, unable to process what they had just seen. At least Naruto was. There were no cheers, no groans, no murmurs or whispers of distraught. There was only silence. At least until Hashi said, "I believe we have our next clan leader."

There was still silence as Naruto replaced his katana in its scabbard. He looked at Haku, both tired and gleeful at his victory. Haku's face remained passive, as did Sasuke's. Konohamaru's was definitely cheerful joy, while Hinata remained trapped between a smile and scowl. He then turned his gaze in Hashi's direction where he saw a concerned frown awaiting him. He approached Hashi and bowed respectfully, something Hashi did not return.

With a weary voice, he murmured, "What was that, that thing you just did?"

"What do you mean, sensei?"

"You unleashed a wave of red chakra…it…it chilled the air and, well, it felt like it drained all the happiness out of the room."

"I…I don't know," was all Naruto could say, trying to wrap his mind around everything that just happened. It must not have been more than ten minutes, yet it felt like it was an eternity. Hashi, unsatisfied with the answer, said, "It doesn't matter. We'll talk of it later. Besides, I thought I asked you to stay in hiding. Instead, I see you've made friends with some of Konoha's elite. Do you mind if I ask why?"

"I haven't made friends with any of them," Naruto whispered back, "I thought I could win some support from the others clansmen if I could trick them into thinking I had connections with Konoha's clans."

"Well you certainly had me fooled," Hashi answered, "It was still a risky strategem. If they talk, the entire village will know you're here. Then again, I suppose that is the plan since you seem so intent on becoming the Dewaya's new leader."

"Not if I go by an alias," Naruto said, to which Hashi found himself smiling amusedly, "Boss Kitsune, heh?"

Naruto nodded, causing Hashi grunt his disapproval and pat him on the back, "But what about them?"

"They haven't said anything before, why would they start now?" Naruto reasoned. Hashi shook his head, "I can't believe I'm doing this…I'm going to initiate you. Master Ryu, if you would?"

"Indeed," the priest said, setting a small table between Naruto and Hashi and beckoning them to sit. He set two small cups and a bottle of sake on the table. As they took their seats, the old priest began reciting the same words as Yahiko on the day of his initiation. After a lengthy speech, Naruto and Hashi exchanged glasses of sake and took long gulps.

There was applause and chanting as Hashi and Naruto set their cups down on the table. Hashi then bid Naruto to rise and said, "Naruto, I welcome you as a full fledged member of the Sakurazaki clan, and I grant you permission to lead the Dewaya. As of this moment, any decision you make as the leader has my approval. I now permit you to lead your clan as you see fit."

Naruto bowed again and turned to face the entire Dewaya Clan. Everyone was quick to scrutinize the new leader, this child who had bested Han in a duel, "As of this moment, we are changing our name to the Kitsune Syndicate. You are all to address me as Boss Kitsune. As such, my first action is to change our clan's symbol from the dragon to fox."

This caused a great stir among everyone in the room, save for Haku who watched silently.

"Boss Sakurazaki, you can't be serious? This has got to be a joke!" Miji said

"Do you trust my judgment?" Hashi asked Miji, who nodded, "Then trust Naruto. If you would please continue Naruto?"

"Thank you, sensei," Naruto bowed, "My next action will be the complete reorganization of our clan. Han, you're moving from being wakagashira to so-honbucho. You're private security firm makes you the best candidate to handle our defenses. Haku, I want you to take over as wakagashira. Take your pick of subordinates, and I'll initiate them into the clan. Shinji, I want you to take over the position of Saiko-komon. I don't know who the current saiko-komon is and I have no ill will towards you. But right now, I'd be a little happier if this clan's profit margins went up. Miji, I want you to become his personal assistant."

Miji scoffed angrily when his name came up, turning his head away in disgust. Naruto ignored him and went on, "As my final action, I want Haku to send a message to the other clans. Tell them we are not going to be pushed around without pushing back, agreed?"

Haku nodded and took leave. With that, Naruto dismissed everyone and left the room with Sasuke, Hinata and Konohamaru. They were all oddly silent, as if trying to find the words to speak. Naruto smiled at them and kindly offered, "Thanks, all of you."

"But we didn't do anything except get yelled at," Konohamaru said. Naruto waved his finger, "Nope, you guys were more than enough to convince some of the other clansmen. You saw it didn't you? Just by being there, you convinced half the council to make me leader."

"If you say so," Sasuke said, "Is that it?"

Naruto nodded. Sasuke departed in his usual manner, along with Konohamaru who raced away into the village. Hinata on the other hand, stayed behind with Naruto. Naruto was unnerved by her decision to stay, uncertain of what to make of it. At least until Hinata said, "Naruto…I…um…"

"I'm sorry about what sensei said," Naruto said apologetically, feeling remorse over his former instructor's actions earlier. Hinata shook her head and said, "No, it's…not that…I…well…are you…okay?"

"Yeah…I'm fine," he answered, examining carefully the area where the sword stabbed him. The wound seemed to have vanished. No trace of its presence remained save for the dried blood on his shirt. He would have to clean it later.

"I'm glad…to hear that," she stuttered again, drawing herself close to Naruto, "I…sorry…"

Before Naruto could ask what she meant she ran off at a remarkable pace, given she was wearing a yukata. He wanted to chase after her, failing to realize that he already was giving chase after her. He didn't want her traveling alone in this part of Konoha. Kunoichi or not, this was not the safest part of the village and there was no telling what was around the next corner.

"Hinata! Wait!" he cried aloud. She stopped in her tracks, turning around to face him, "Na….naruto?"

There were what appeared to be tears in her eyes. Naruto brushed them off her face and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No…it's nothing," she smiled weakly, her happiness betrayed only by the tears coming from her eyes. Naruto was unable to reason why she was crying, and probably never would. Still, he found himself drawn to her natural beauty, and happily said, "Why don't I walk you home."

She looked at him with a stunned face, before nodding meekly, "If…you…wouldn't…mind."

"Okay, let's go," Naruto said. Together the two walked to the Hyuga compound.

…………

**Author's Notes: **Well, another chapter over and done with. After all, health care is not a job to be taken lightly. My next update will be in six weeks on Friday, September 25th. If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	30. Kitsune Sovereignty

**Disclaimer: **Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as a cartoon by Viz Media. The Art of War is the published text of Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicates, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Notes: **Hi everybody. This is leonardo1123581321 here. First, I'd like to apologize for the short length of the chapter since the number of college classes I have has greatly restricted the amount of time I have to work on this. I had to ask a close friend to personally beta this for me because of how late I finished them. Second, I want to say that if you intend to send me a facebook invite, please let me know vis a vis the PM system so I do not mistake you as another person who wants 100+ friends on their blog. Next, I want to thank everyone who left a review, faved/subscribed the story or faved/subscribed me. Now before I respnd to reviews, I would like to point out that I've uploaded a sample of my Resistance Fanfic so go check it out and give it a read. And now, on to review responses:

**DarkRavie: **Wait no longer for here it is!

**T3Ko: **Or will we? Naw, I'm kidding, we'll see how the clan is led.

**Callous: **I'm sorry. My aim wasn't at depression but at the harshness of reality.

**Lexor: **Yeah, he really does. However, I'm saving that for later chapters in the story.

**RaiOokami: **Thanks for the compliment, but I prefer to think of the story as being more in the vein of the Godfather novel than the games.

**Senyor Fier Menshier: **Yes, yes I do. In fact, I'm giving you a little look into the inner workings of the Kuroihi after the chapter so stay tuned.

**Peter Kim: **Dammit! Stop giving away vital plot points! I don't mind every now and then, but come on!

**I Can't Think of A Good Name34: **I ship NaruHina. If you don't like, love it!

**Shadow Sensei: **No worries, just add me on the Facebook or on the Playstation Network. My ID is leo112358. Peace out Sensei!

**All Nightmare Long: **Han is a pupper master. He uses puppets and strings but not much else.

And now, without I present the next chapter of Oyabun:

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 30: Kitsune Sovereignty**

An uproar stirred inside the Hokage's office two weeks before the final test for the Chunin Exams. Annoyingly, more than half of the village jonin, chunin, and ANBU demanded to know what had caused the sudden flicker of demonic chakra. Naturally, many of them expressed concerns that the demon fox was returning. A select few insisted Naruto was still alive and undoubtedly seeking some form of retribution. The old man did his best to calm the angry shinobi, asking for silence before explaining what he knew, "I won't deny that many of you are concerned about the recent surge of demonic chakra. In light of this development, I think it's safe to tell you all that Uzumaki Naruto is indeed alive and somewhere nearby."

Sarutobi did not receive the response he was hoping for; many of the ninja began demanding to know why the information was not revealed sooner and who made the discovery. Ibiki saved the old man the hassle, stepping forward, "I did. My self and three of the guards in the Interrogation Facility released one of the prisoners to him in exchange for some information."

"And you just let it happen? You're the interrogation unit! You should have just arrested him and forced him to talk!" One of the chunin chimed in angrily.

"On what grounds? For trying to save his friend?" Ibiki asked. Another jonin pointed out, "He's an S-Rank criminal! That practically means kill on sight!"

"And that status was revoked once he was reported dead!" Ibiki countered, "He's practically free of any crime he committed!"

"You dumbass! You would sacrifice the safety of everyone in this village over a stupid technicality!?" one of Ibiki's subordinates said, grabbing the fearsome man by his collar. This led to a strange stand off when everyone in the room except the Hokage and Ibiki drew a weapon and pointed it at the person closest to them. A string of threats and growls echoed in the room, leading the old Hokage to slam his palms against the desk and shout, "END THIS NONSENSE NOW DAMMIT!"

There was a pause, as most of the younger shinobi were stunned by the Hokage's outburst while older shinobi hung their heads in shame. Sarutobi rose from his chair, "I have tried my best to be patient, but I have had it with all of this foolishness. I want to make it clear here and now! This animosity towards the boy ends right now!"

Slowly, everyone lowered whatever weapon they had in their hands. Ibiki's subordinate released him and begrudgingly disappeared into the crowd. With everyone's attention returned to the Hokage, the old man said, "I understand you all have your concerns, and I sympathize, but your reasons for concern are unbecoming and unethical. Your worries are all founded on the assumption that Uzumaki Naruto is a demon. He is not. He is a person, much like anyone else in this room. More importantly, he is a child—a child that has led a difficult life in loneliness. Save Iruka and myself, I'm sure no one else in this entire village gave thought to the boy's well-being!"

There was still silence, allowing the Hokage to continue, "I will not reinstate his criminal status. However I would like to ask Iruka to please fetch him for me. I will discuss the details with you after this meeting. You are all dismissed. Please leave."

The room emptied, all of the shinobi departing out the door as Ibiki ushered them out with Kakashi. Once the last of them left, Ibiki and Kakashi shut the door behind them. Iruka, who was leaning calmly against a wall behind him, asked, "Lord Hokage…is it really, true?"

"I'm afraid so," the old man explained. Iruka frowned, "Why wasn't I told?"

"Like I said, I wasn't aware myself until about a week ago," the Hokage explained, "I know this will be hard on you, but you will have to go to him and bring him here."

"How would I know where to look?"

"Our last report says he was with the Kuroihi Syndicate in the Land of Waves. I would suggest starting with their office here in the village. You know the one."

"Sir…what if he doesn't want to return? Or what if he takes it the wrong way?" Iruka asked. The old man with a curious nod, encouragingly noted, "Iruka, he may not admit it but you're like a father to him. He may…no, he will listen to you. Now, please go get him."

Iruka hesitated for a moment, uncertain of what to think of the recent developments. He wanted to be happy Naruto was alive, but he wasn't. Well, he was but not as much as he wanted to be. He was disappointed because Naruto was with the Kuroihi the whole time. He assumed he was happy, but at what cost?

"Okay sir," Iruka mumbled, before disappearing out the door.

"Naruto…what is happening to you?" the Hokage mulled to himself, lighting his pipe and taking a long inhale from it.

……………

Naruto was taking his time walking Hinata back to her house. He had absolutely no reservations against never arriving there. The more he looked at Hinata, the more he realized he never noticed how pretty she was and the more he scolded himself for not doing anything sooner. They were in the academy together for the longest time, yet Naruto was too busy eyeing Sakura to notice Hinata.

As they turned a corner, Naruto noticed how flushed Hinata's face was, "Hinata, are you sick? You look a little red."

"Um no," Hinata mumbled softly. Forgetting all decency, mannerism and common sense, Naruto placed the back of his hand against her forehead and said, "Are you running a fever?"

Without realizing it, his face had drawn dangerously close to Hinata's – mere centimeters of air being all that was between them. Hinata's face turned a violent shade of red, and then purple, before she lost her balance. Naruto caught her before she hit the ground, worriedly asking, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Hinata nodded wearily, her face still crimson. Leaning down and grabbing her by her knees, he carried her onto his back and said, "Here, let me take you home!"

He took off at a brisk pace down the street, noting how light and delicate she felt as he leaped from rooftop to rooftop. As he ran, he asked, "So where is the Hyuga Compound, Hinata?"

"On the eastern end of the village," she answered meekly. Naruto nodded and continued to carry her until they arrived at the compound. Naruto set her down gently, turning to face her, "Do you think you'll be fine from here on?"

"Yeah," Hinata answered sheepishly, stumbling her way through the Hyuga Compound's gate. As she went inside, Naruto noticed a sorrowful yet understanding look on her face. She disappeared inside the main building, cueing Naruto to return to the clan's office in Purgatorio. He found Hashi there waiting for him in what was formerly Yahiko's office.

"How was your walk with the Hyuga Heiress?" he asked unassumingly.

"Okay," Naruto answered, unsure how to make heads or tails of his sensei's question. Hashi nodded, his face bearing an amused smile, before he patted Naruto on the head and said, "I believe that's what Keitaro refers to as the thunder bolt."

"The thunder bolt?" Naruto asked. Hashi continued smiling, "Some old wives tale from Keitaro's native land – when two destined lovers meet they are struck by the thunderbolt, falling in love at first sight. Anyway, before I get to the main topic, I need to know: How did you know Han wasn't the puppet you were fighting, but the elderly gentleman controlling him? It's a secret we don't even tell the senior clansmen."

"His fingers twitched every time Han moved. It took me until I ran into the string to figure out the connection, but when I did I decided to cut the strings before going after him."

"I see, Keitaro taught you to look out for tells," Hashi murmured, "Okay, now we need to discuss this chakra of yours. What exactly was that and how exactly did you do that?"

"Like I said sensei; I don't know," Naruto answered sheepishly, "It just sort of happened…"

"There's something you're not telling me Naruto," Hashi pressed adamantly, "I want you to be honest with me: what happened when Han's puppet stabbed you?"

Naruto paused for a minute, wanting to be honest with his sensei but knowing somewhere in the back of his mind that Hashi would not believe him, "You're not going to believe this: when Han stabbed me, I thought I was going to die—I felt like I was dying! But when I came to my senses, I was in this sewer and there was a voice calling out to me. I followed it and it told me the Nine-Tailed Fox was sealed inside me, and that he was going to use his powers to keep me alive because he would die if I did. He said it would be a deal whose terms we'd talk about later. After that, I woke up in the meeting room. My body felt lighter, stronger and… I don't know what else to tell you..."

Hashi's expression didn't change at all to any of Naruto's explanations. He simply patted the spiky blonde on the head and said, "Okay, I'll look into this matter further Naruto. I'm sure you understand; I intend to bring my daughter back to the compound. I fear Konoha may very well become a front line for a new gang war. I wish you good luck, Boss Kitsune."

Hashi closed the door behind him just in time to drown out a loud, "DADDY! It's true! You are here t-"

There was a loud thud followed by uncontrollable laughter. Cracking a yawn, Naruto smiled and leaned casually on Yahiko's desk. He did feel a pang of guilt about the way the last several days had played out, but he was not going to complain. He was now the leader of an established clan. He was however, bothered by Hashi-sensei's assertion that he and Hinata were destined lovers. He normally didn't believe in such superstition, but then again he did hallucinate that the Nine-Tailed Fox was sealed inside him—at least he hoped it was just a hallucination.

That evening, several of the clansmen dragged Naruto out to a local restaurant for celebration. Naruto did his best to enjoy himself, but most of them became ridiculously drunk halfway through dinner. When asked by several restaurant goers why they were celebrating, they pointed at Naruto and proclaimed he was the new boss. This led to laughter, as many believed the clansmen drunk themselves stupid. It didn't inhibit the relief they felt to know someone had been appointed leader, and many asked if it was Shinji.

Of course, they insisted that Naruto was the new boss and the guests left them alone, concluding aloud that they were all drunk stupid. Naruto couldn't really blame them, since it would be difficult to believe anything they said in their state. His stature, or perhaps age was a more accurate word, didn't help either. Not wanting to play any more part in their drunken revelry any longer, Naruto quietly excused himself and silently walked back to the office.

Where he found Iruka talking with one of the guards, "Look, I just want to see Naruto."

"And I'm tellin' you, he ain't here!"

"I know he's in there! Please, just tell him Iruka wants to talk to him!"

"About what sensei?" Naruto asked, approaching Iruka casually. Even though he was supposed to be in hiding, he couldn't bring it in himself to turn away from his old sensei. Iruka's expression was a mix of glee and horror. Without a word, Iruka walked up to his former and kneeled down to his eye level, "Naruto…"

Iruka didn't finish, pulling Naruto into a hug before he could say anything else. Iruka was like a father to him and Naruto desperately wanted to return the hug. Without realizing it, he already wrapped his arms around Iruka's neck. Any passerby who witnessed the scene would have recalled it as a kind of reunion between an odd father and son who had been separated for the longest of time.

"Do you know this guy boss?" the Dewaya/Kitsune guard asked, interrupting their moment with a blunt recall to reality. They released, each other, but Iruka remained at Naruto's eye level with a weak smile on his face. Naruto nodded at the guard and said, "Iruka was my sensei in the shinobi academy."

"Boss?" Iruka asked Naruto, who waved it off, "Come on sensei, we can talk inside my office."

"Office…" he trailed off, as Naruto led him inside, past the now empty waiting room, in his darkened office. Naruto turned on the lights and ushered Iruka to have a seat, "So what's going on sensei?"

"Naruto, what's going on here? Why did he call you boss?" Iruka asked, gesturing out the door. With a small smile, Naruto replied, "Oh, I'm the boss of the Dewaya…well the Kitsune Clan now."

"The boss…Naruto, you became a gang leader?" Iruka's voice shook, an angered growl beneath his voice. Surprised by Iruka's sudden tone, Naruto stuttered, "Are you mad sensei?"

"No," Iruka murmured, "I can't be mad at you, Naruto. I just want to understand…what exactly happened after the Land of Waves, when you jumped off the bridge..."

"I…can't tell you sensei," Naruto explained hesitantly, earning him an angered, "Well why not!?"

"You're not…"

"Not what!? A Kuroihi!? Naruto, I'm your sensei! More than that, I'm your friend. You can tell me anything," Iruka argued, his voice growing more stern. Iruka made a good point but Naruto's experience thus far had encouraged him to remain wary of any Konoha shinobi who wasn't in his age group. Particularly, someone he couldn't use to his advantage.

At the same time, he refused to ever use Iruka like a pawn that he would discard at a moment's notice. The man was a father to him—the father that he never had. He couldn't deny this man anything. For what was probably the first time in a long time, Naruto let everything out, "I did it to stay in hiding. In the Land of Waves, the body guard assigned to me asked me to help him with a plan that would clean up the country and protect me from the death sentence Konoha put on me. I killed Gatou and pretended to kill myself."

"But instead, things got worse and I had to do terrible things just to fix it. So many people got killed just so I could stay alive. When I was finally able to set things straight and everything went back to normal, I ended up getting set back here because someone else wanted me dead. And just to keep things together, I ended up doing more terrible things. Now, something horrible is going to happen and I had to take control of this stupid gang just to keep it all from falling apart."

"I didn't even want to be this! I never planned on joining them! I only did because the village said to kill me on sight! And you know what the irony is? Other than you sensei, these people are the only ones who treat me with any respect! They're the only ones who don't hate me on sight, and its only because they're hated just as much!"

"Naruto… I've never hated you," Iruka tried to comfort him, resting a hand on his shoulde. Just as Naruto finished, he realized tears were pouring out of his eyes and mixing with the snot creeping out of his nose. His voice was quivering uncontrollably and his knees weakened until he slid all the way down to floor, "I'm sorry sensei, it's just why does all this happen to me?"

Iruka was already hugging him, patting his back, "I'm sorry, Naruto. I wish I could tell you."

Naruto wasn't entirely sure why he became so emotional or if all his experiences were bearing down on him as much as it seemed. With a pang of anger, Naruto scorned the late Hokage, "This is all the Fourth's fault!"

"The Fourth's?" Iruka pulled himself back, staring at Naruto with an analyzing look

"The damned Fourth Hokage! If he hadn't sealed that stupid fox inside me, none of this would have ever happened!" Naruto whimpered, even though part of him still believed that the total experience with the Fox was just a delusion he suffered on part of the severe blood loss. Iruka, had let him go completely by that time, staring at him calculatingly and saying, "Naruto… I… I'm not allowed to tell you this because of a law the Third Hokage passed. But I guess you've already figured it out so it doesn't matter. You are the vessel of the Nine Tailed Fox. The Fourth Hokage sealed him inside you because he wasn't able to find a way to kill the fox. But, he never wanted any of this for you. He even explicitly said to remember you as a hero. But the fox's attack was a fresh scar on everyone, and a lot of people immediately thought you were the fox reincarnated."

Naruto was lost for words. The revelation that his meeting with the fox was indeed real horrified him. He could think of nothing to say to Iruka, so his sensei continued, "But you aren't the reincarnated demon fox, Naruto. You're better than that. You're Uzumaki Naruto."

"Sensei…" Naruto was at a loss for words. Iruka patted him on the head, "I know you would never do anything out of hatred, Naruto. You're better than that. If anything, you're going to do good things. I trust you Naruto."

He felt a smile grow on his face, widening more than ever. It was like the trademark, goofy smile he used to wear except it was genuine. After another hug, Iruka headed for the door, "I'll show myself out. Take care of yourself, Naruto."

"I will sensei!" Naruto answered, his tears drying. Iruka smiled.

………

The following day, Naruto, Shinji and Haku met in what was now his new office to discuss how they would deal with the other gangs in the village without excessive blood shed. Since it was officially his first day, Naruto decided to dress more formally and arranged his business suit in such a manner. Haku complimented him on his appearance as they set off on their discussion, "The best way to kill a viper is to kill it before it can strike."

"Do you have any suggestions that make a little more sense?" Naruto asked.

"Well of course," Haku answered, speaking from his years of experience as an assassin, "We kill the heads of each of the clans, and the rest of it will dissipate in to chaos."

"The heads of the Enkou and the…um, the Kokoa? The Koda? Kaji?"

"The Kaki."

"Yeah! So, you propose we kill their oyabuns?" Naruto stated rather obviously. Haku remained impassive, neutrally correcting Naruto, "No, I propose we kill their entire senior council. The Kaki and the Enkou. Without their senior members to hold a council meeting or a proper leadership hierarchy, the eventual in fighting will result in the clans' dissolution."

"You're sure it will work?" Naruto asked. Avoiding any unneeded casualties was the whole point of this plan, so if Haku's clan backfired, then there would be more harm than good.

"If we take immediate action and begin attacking their business interests before things get out of hand, we can choke them financially before we take them down."

Naruto paused for a moment, scratching his chin and musing at the prospect. The plan made sense but it relied on too many uncertainties. Quoting the Art of War, as Naruto recalled it, _One who knows himself but not his enemy, will suffer a defeat for every victory. _Echoing these words in his mind, he turned to Shinji, "What do you think?"

"It's kind of hard to tell," Shinji answered, "Like I said yesterday, I'm good at turning profits but not much else."

"What do we know about the Kaki and the Enkou?"

"We know the Kaki in the village are headed by some man named Oro Chikin. We don't know much else except that he has a lot of connections with the Land of Steel and their elite samurai guard," Shinji said, "As for the Kaki…well, they're small time but they don't call themselves a brotherhood for nothing. Each of them makes a solemn blood oath upon a Buddha, which they then burn. Rumor is, the only way out is in a body bag."

"I don't want any moves until we know a little more, Haku?"

"I'll organize some of the men to dig up what they can," he said, "I'll have them look for hang outs, hide aways—everything."

Haku disappeared out the door, bowing respectfully. Naruto then turned his attention to Shinji, "So how does our money look?"

"For now, we're not losing any but we're not making a profit either," Shinji explained, passing Naruto a packet of papers with more of the confusing monetary calculations which Naruto could make neither heads nor tails of. He pretended to read it whilst Shinji went on, "We're making just enough money to keep defending our remaining assets and fund out operations, which is saying something given this is the time of the year when the most money comes in. But with the way things are going, we stand to lose more in the near future if we don't start gaining more ground. We can't afford any more expenses until more money starts coming in and our rates are already too high. We can't raise it any higher without risking a lot of bad blood, and our clan has built its name on family and loyalty."

"Okay, so I'll commit more guys to take back our turf," Naruto said, putting the paper aside. Shinji frowned, "Boss, you read the paper, there's no way we can afford that expense. We'll be running at a loss if we go on all out war."

"Then we'll run a loss," Naruto answered, "Like I said Shinji, I wanted you to be Saiko Komon because I knew you would turn a profit no matter what. I'll worry about the war, you just focus on making the money come in."

"Naruto, I don't think that will be-"

"It's taken care of Shinji," Naruto answered dismissively, waving Shinji away. Shinji bit his lower lip, grabbed the packet off of Naruto's desk and headed for the door. Not forgetting his formalities, Shinji bowed just before he closed the door. Before Naruto could entertain the idea of what to do next, the secretary came in with a stack of papers, "Um…I was told the new boss…was here?"

"That's me!" Naruto said gleefully. The secretary frowned, "Wow, they weren't joking. Anyway, here's the day's paperwork."

She set papers on his desk without saying another word before disappearing out the door. Naruto examined the small stack of paperwork and frowned. This was his responsibility now, but he usually gave this to Haku or Shinji while he goofed off. Not wanting to be a greater burden, and hoping to get rid of all the papers before they piled up, he took the first slip of paper off the stack and began to read:

_Message for the Head of the Dewaya Clan_

_Two of our toll collectors were killed along the southern toll route. Current investigation has provided no leads. Will continue to investigate and update you with further information when available. _

_Konoha transported another convoy of our members to a nearby prison. ANBU have taken the place of standard security. Will no longer risk rescue attempts._

_Also request a fresh supply of food, as the current stock is infested by cockroaches. _

_Sentry 12_

Naruto looked down the paper again and set it aside, retrieving another one in the hopes that it would make a little more sense.

_For the Boss_

_Another shipment of the supply you requested was intercepted by Suna Nin. They're increasing crackdowns had led us to conclude they have a plant somewhere inside the clan. Looking in to it now._

_Also, I'm still waiting for a response to my request for a raise. As I explained, I desperately need the money to help pay for my kid sister's medicine. Please boss, I really need this._

_Date_

A pang of sympathy echoed in Naruto's mind, and he made a mental note to give this guy the raise he requested as soon as profits started coming back in. Naruto set the paper aside, atop the previous one and read the next piece of paper: _You have five appointments today. _

Naruto blinked, and reread the paper. He didn't recall making any appointment, let alone five. A knock on his door caught his attention, and he bid the person inside. It was one of the guards out front, who bowed low and frowned, "Boss Kitsune, you're first appointment is here."

"Okay, send them in," Naruto said, setting the papers off to the side of the desk and folding his hands beneath his chin. The guard held the door open for a young man and woman, most likely in their early twenties, bowed and left them. The couple gazed in bewilderment at Naruto, asking, "Where's Boss Dewaya?"

"You're looking at him," he answered, "And it's Boss Kitsune, now."

"But, you're just a kid," the man pointed out, to Naruto's displeasure, "A kid in charge of Konoha's most powerful gang. Now, what can I do for you?"

The two exchanged looks of confusion and worry. The woman eventually nodded, and the man glared at Naruto while explaining, "We, that is my girlfriend and I… have a problem. Our… baby, will be born out of wedlock. We want to get married, but we have neither the money nor our families's blessings. Her family has completely disowned her and my family, refused to have anything to do with me because of her family's noble status."

Naruto nodded empathetically, rising from his chair to better examine the couple up close. The woman had a slender body, which was perfectly veiled by a floor length kimono. The man, on the other hand, wore dirtied peasant's clothing that was torn and poorly patched from head to toe. With an exasperated tone, Naruto asked the woman, "Do you love him?"

She nodded meekly, "More than anything."

"And you her?" Naruto asked the man, who begrudgingly closed his eyes, "I'd die for her."

"Marriage is a life long commitment," Naruto said, "I suppose you want me to fund this wedding for you? Take care of all the fees, the preparations, and stuff?"

The couple nodded in unison. Naruto folded his hands across his chest, "Okay, I can do this on one condition."

"Anything, Boss Kitsune," the woman said.

"You two are to remain loyal to each other, no matter what," Naruto said, "It's obvious you two are from two completely different classes. I don't want to fund a wedding for a couple who are physically attracted to each other instead of in love. When is the baby going to be born?"

"In six months," the woman answered.

"Good, I'm going to assign one of my men to keep an eye on you 24/7 for the next month. If you can prove to me that you two can live together like a happy couple in that time, I will personally fund your wedding," Naruto said. A hopeful smile appeared on both their faces, "Thank you so much, Boss Naruto. We can't thank you enough!"

Naruto waved them out of the room and returned to the massive pile of paperwork that was sitting on his desk. He _really_ didn't want to look in the general direction of all the papers but knew he had no choice. He took a piece of blank paper from inside the drawer and scribbled down a few notes:

_- Assign someone to keep check on couple_

_-Give money to Date when available_

_-Save money for couple's wedding_

He looked up again at the papers and despairingly picked up the next piece of paper.

…………

Two days of careful planning led exclusively to this one moment. Haku, dressed in his usual robe and fox mask, waited patiently in the alley and peered out the corner at a brothel. Two of the Enkou guards were standing guard over it, having escorted their clan's council inside for 'pleasure'. He had been given explicit instructions to make the assassination as loud and as gruesome as possible. After all, if any of them were spared or aloud to escape, retaliation would be inevitable.

He didn't know how long he had been here, but he sincerely hoped they would be out soon. Of course, just as he thought it, these played out. The door opened for a burly, balding man with a bowler hat and long coat. He held the door open for an elderly gentleman who walked with a cane, a middle age woman whose hair was tied back into a bun, a rat faced man who with a sly look, and a white haired male with glasses.

Haku took his chance and moved in with blinding speed. He was able to behead the woman and the burly man with one swing of Zabuza's sword. Taking kunai in both hands, he stabbed the elderly citizen and rat face in the jugular, making sure to embed the knives deep enough to dry them of their blood in seconds. The guards, just managed to realize what was going on and drew their weapons, a pocket knife and a hand-sized cross bow. Haku rushed them both and hit their hands towards each other, resulting in an awkward situation where they were killed by the other's weapon.

He turned to face the white haired man with the glasses, who backed away, "Please, I'll give you whatever you want: money, power, women… men?"

"My loyalty to Boss Kitsune is greater than anything you can offer," Haku answered, watching in disgust as the man fell to his knees and started weeping, "Please! I have children! Little children..."

"Liar," Haku murmured in time to stab him in the eye with a senbon needle. Normally this wouldn't be fatal but Haku's years of precision training enabled him to stab the eye in a way that it penetrated through the small hole connecting the eye to the brain and stabbed the brain. The man howled in pain, grabbing his face as blood poured down his face.

Then came the disgusting part. Before a crowd of people, Haku cut the dead bodies to pieces and drained them of their blood. He piled the bodies, one on top of the other, and set it aflame. He took a senbon needle, dipped it in the blood and scrawled a quick message on the wall of a nearby building:

_So die, all who cross the Kitsune._

Once he was done, Haku vanished in to a nearby alley. His job was complete and the message was clear—if the other gangs wanted war, then Naruto would bring them a war. Worse yet, Naruto would hold nothing back in his offensive. Haku, on the other hand, couldn't.

He was capable of providing much worse fates, thanks to the years of training from Zabuza. The worse torture technique Haku knew was to light a person aflame with a fire that didn't kill. Their flesh would literally cook away at a rate equal to its growth. The person would feel immeasurable pain, caused by the natural functions of the body. Of course, torture only went so far and really should have been used as a last result. But Naruto was clear in his instructions.

NO MERCY

Haku couldn't bring himself to follow those orders, simply because he felt it was too excessive. Whatever the case, Haku looked behind him with a single thought, _the worse has yet to come._

………

**Author's Notes: **Well, another chapter over and done with. NIU is killing me over here, but se la vie. My next update will be in six weeks on Friday, November 6th. If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on the Facebook or Playstation Network. Don't forget to check out my Resistance Sample. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!

**Kuroihi Syndicate – Member Profiles**

**Momiji Hashi: **Head of the Sakurazaki Clan and Wakagashira of the Kuroihi Syndicate. He is one of Boss Kuroihi's oldest friends, although their history remains curious. He is the father of Sakurazaki Hana, a single parent because of his wife's death under unexplained circumstances. He has a yet to be explained attachment to Naruto, relating in some way to Hana and his late wife. Why did Hashi think he saw a ghost when he saw Naruto?

**Sora "Vendetta" Keitaro: **Head of the Sora Clan, Wakagashira of the Sakurazaki Clan and Fuku-honbucho of the Kuroihi Syndicate. He is romantically involved with his boss's daughter, a relationship known about by everyone except Hashi. He is of foreign descent, although who he was before he came into Hashi's care has yet to be revealed.

**Kuroihi Ryouke: **Chairman of the Kuroihi Syndicate and head of the Kuroihi-Sempai Clan, he is considered to be the most powerful man who isn't a feudal lord or a kage because of his great political influence and financial savings. Despite his age, he is still one of the most feared men in the world for reasons yet to be explained.

**Kuroihi Yamato: **Komon of the Kuroihi Syndicate and head of the Kuroihi-Kohai Clan, he is the heir apparent to the Kuroihi Syndicate, a position he doesn't want. He is the literal meaning of 'a lover, not a fighter'. He hates violence or anything to do with crime and would prefer to lead a normal life outside the clan.


	31. Naruto In Charge

**Disclaimer: **Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as a cartoon by Viz Media. The Art of War is the published text of Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicates, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Notes: **Hi Everybody! I'd like to thank you for taking the time to come out here and read another chapter of this fanfiction. I know it's a little late in the evening but I've been having computer problems lately and had to borrow several friends' computers and use public terminals (libraries and such) just to write this story. When coupled with my already busy education time, this make for very little time. To be honest, I didn't even get a chance to proof read this time because of how little chance I had to work on it. I finished the chapter just now, actually, so apologies for any and all errors (continuity or otherwise) you might and probably will catch. I also want to thank everyone for all the support they've given since it became official one year ago that this story would be a NaruHina. I will not lie when I say about half the reader base dropped the story as a fave or otherwise. Really guys, thanks. In addition, I want to explain ahead of time that the Japanese concept of race is slightly different from that of the Americans. They're approach is more of an Us v Them. That is, there are the normal Japanese (Us) and foreigners/outcasts (Them). The word for 'Them' is technically Burakumin but in order to avoid offending anyone, I chose to use Invalid instead as you will see later down the story. Of interesting note is that the most powerful Yakuza is 70% Burakumin. Now, on to review responses whilst I go commit seppuku for dishonoring you dear readers with a late and poorly edited submission:

**DarkRavie: **Thank you for the compliment and please enjoy

**Senyor Fier Menshier: **Arigatou

**Lainana: **Glad you enjoyed it. Writing would be so much for fun though if I knew what was wrong with my computer.

**Peter Kim: **Several things: first, why all the hate for Sasuke? Seriously, he's not that bad a guy. He, like most guys, is just an idiot who is easily manipulated. Oddly, that makes him for of an idiot than Naruto. Additionally, simply because Naruto has no loyalty to the village, does not mean he has plans for an evil take over. Yet.

**T3Ko: **Never underestimate the power of the Social Darwinism in the Yakuza

**ArmorofGeddon: **I'm glad you're liking it but, and this is a big but, we haven't even hit the tip of the icerberg yet with all the back stabs and betrayals. Just wait until the end of this story arc

**Changingtides: **I understand what you mean by Naruto being trained more, but it really takes away from the comedic shenanigans if he becomes too powerful. After all, a good percent of Naruto is just silly and random antics that he gets in to.

**I Cant Think of A Good Name34: **12, like in the original series. As you can imagine, his mental stability must be lacking for him to even get to this point

**All Nightmare Long: **I'm glad you liked it, but for me a standard chapter must be between 10 and 15 pages. Anything outside is either too short or too long. And we just can't have that.

**Mysterious Old Guy: **First, let's set up a beautiful sunset against a shoreline with gulls in the distance. Now add tear effects and "GUY SENSEI!"

**ShadowSensei: **Well congratulations on turning 22. I'm also glad that you brought up the little part in the first chapter. It is something I will be exploring in the coming chapters but I don't want to give too much away. Let me just say that Keitaro is at fault for it.

**Jonesy195: **Don't worry, she will reappear and it will be under similar circumstances: Naruto will convince her to be the next Hokage but for different reasons.

Anyway, I've stalled long enough so here's the next chapter of Oyabun, also someone call an ambulance because the blood loss is getting to me:

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 31: Naruto in Charge**

Hashi delved his office in darkness, staring silently out his window with his legs crossed and his hands folded across his weight. Hashi was normally never one to sit in darkness. This had only occurred once before, under circumstances which would make him overprotective of his little girl, his last living relative. A knock at his door caught his attention, and he granted the person entry, "Come in."

"Oyabun," Keitaro bowed as he came in, "I got that information on Naruto you asked for."

"Okay, may I?" Hashi extended his hand out for Keitaro to give him the papers. He skimmed through the papers quickly, looking for the birth certificate. It wasn't necessarily important when it came to the real purpose of the paperwork, but he did want to know why the parents of Naruto would choose to abandon him. He eventually came to the boy's birth certificate where he read the name of his parents:

_Father – Namikaze Minato_

_Mother – Uzumaki Kushina_

_Date of Birth – 10/10/XXXX_

The father's name certainly came as a surprise to Hashi. He would never have guessed the Fourth Hokage – The Golden Flash, himself – was the boy's father. Although he did notice a similarity now that he mused on the notion. He set these thoughts aside and continued his search through the paperwork, hoping to find some Last Will and Testament from Fourth.

If not, he wanted to at least find out what happened to the mother. He knew the father had died from the Kitsune attack several years ago, but he knew nothing of the mother. Of course this proved fruitless since there was no mention of either a mother or a will in the remainder of the folder's contents. Simply grade reports, teacher's notes, and what appeared to be a medical record. Nothing of major importance. Hashi set it all to the side and turned to a small picture frame on his desk. He took the frame close and examined the picture's contents. A picture of his wife and children.

"Y'know boss," Keitaro called his attention away from the photo, "I know what you're thinking about. Believe me, I see the resemblance too. But he isn't Naruto. They look alike, but they aren't the same person."

"Keitaro, I don't want your opinion on this matter," Hashi answered, "Not after what you did."

"Boss, I'm sorry," Keitaro answered, "You know if I could, I would go back and make it me the one who-"

"Stop, stop now," Hashi ordered, "I don't want to hear it. Not from you. Especially when you're the one at fault."

"Hashi…"

"Go attend to your affairs Keitaro…I'll attend to mine," Hashi crossed his legs and stared out the window. He heard Keitaro open the door. Just before it closed, Hashi said one last thing, "Keitaro, stay away from my daughter."

The only sound was of the door closing.

………

The head of the Kaki Brotherhood's Konoha Branch is described as a thug with more muscle than mind. Infamous for his cruelty, this man had a perverse fetish for inflicting pain on others. He enjoyed it so much that at times he would accidentally kill his "partners". Surprisingly, he was unmoved by such outcomes and often chose to finish by himself despite his partner's sudden lifelessness. Truly, he was a monster in a man.

He never feared anything, and very little surprised him. His body bulged in every corner with large muschles which he was never frightened to flex intimidatingly. However, when he heard news of the massacre of the heads of the Enkou, he began to shake for the first time in his life. Not in fear, but excitement. His initial thought was finally, he would meet someone just as crazy about killing people as he was.

He hoped he would one day meet this person but, for now, he would settle with strolling the red light district in search of someone to fulfill his carnal needs that day. Escorting him were two of his most trusted friends, acting as body guards. They flanked the horse he rode on, each on a smaller horse so as not to stand taller than their boss. The boss, who was greatly insecure of his short stature, made certain that nobody in his clan and nobody who came to him for help stood taller than himself. This also went for whom ever he chose to be his partner for the day.

"Hey big boy!" one of the usual workers around the Red light District called out, "Looking for a good time?"

"You know it baby," the man called back, making a mental note to come back for this particular woman if he couldn't find anyone better. He went further down the road, coming to an abrupt halt at a large crowd gathering around some strange curiosity. As it was his duty as the representative of the Kaki to settle whatever was going on, the boss rode forward into the center of the crowd and demanded, "What's going on here?"

"It's a kid," someone in the crowd answered, "Somebody killed a kid."

The boss of Kaki raised an eyebrow in surprise and proceeded to the very heart, where a boy of about twelve years of age lay. His body was curled up into a ball, beaten and bruised. His clothing was dripping with what was presumably his own blood, and a small pool of it was forming around him. The Kaki boss leapt off his horse, and looked closer to examine the boy more closely.

He had long, spiky blonde hair and empty blue eyes. This did little to draw away from the odd whisker like marks on his face. The boss sighed and rolled the boy onto his back. He then closed the boy's eyes and and clasped his hands together in prayer.

"Did anybody know his name?"

"No," someone answered. A pang of pain hit the old man's heart. It was more sympathy than empathy, a kid who was probably no older than twelve had his life taken too soon. He had probably another six years before he could truly enjoy the pleasures of adult hood. The boss sighed and examined his wrist watch, "Time of Death: 12:05 PM, no name…What a way to go…"

SKLICT!

"Graah!"

The Boss of the Kaki looked down at the boy, his eyes wide open in a demonic gaze that seemed to pierce his soul. There was a katana in the boy's hand, which disappeared into his chest. A trail of blood ran down the edge of the blade, onto the boy's hand and dripped onto his face. Behind him, The Kaki Boss heard the sound of metal ripping through bone.

The gang boss turned his head behind him to see his two escorts limply fall off their horses, their heads rolling away into the crowd around him. The boss returned his attention to the boy who now stood himself up, causing discomfort in the gang boss because the blade moved around inside him with each step he took. The boy's gaze tightened, "Next time check for a pulse."

The gang boss felt his chest tighten, and he was unable to catch his breath. The boy seemed to enjoy his suffering and leaned in close to whisper, "Is this all you have, old man? You lose to a _kid_? I don't mind though. This is my village, it always was. You were never welcome."

With that, the light ran out of the Kaki Boss's eyes. He fell in to a cold darkness.

………….

"I believed in Konoha. This is where I made my fortune after all: I made a decent living, married the woman I loved, had two daughters…but these thugs came to me and threatened to ruin me if I refused to pay them protection money," said a middle aged baker, who was seated across from Naruto's desk. He was another client who wanted his help and could not be refused because of the rising costs to maintain the Kitsune Clan. Naruto listened intently as the man went on about how he had come to village from some distant land stricken with poverty with only his lover and the clothes on his back. When the man finished making his case, Naruto dismissively replied, "Your story strikes a chord in my heart, that much I can say. However, the Kitsune are not a charity – our services aren't given for free and I'm afraid your situation will be more costly than it would seem."

"I'll give you whatever you want," the man pleaded, "Just please, keep me and my family safe!"

"Do you swear your loyalty to me, to this clan?" Naruto asked. The old man nodded.

"Prove it."

He looked at Naruto fearfully, and quickly fell to his knees and bowed to Naruto. Naruto nodded and replied, "You can stand now. I'll place you under our clan's protection and I'll station two of my most trusted men around your bakery to scare of these thugs. All you have to do is pay a low monthly fee to help us cover costs."

"Of course, Thank you Boss Kitsune," the man bowed repeatedly as he left out of the office. Naruto sighed and reclined in his chair. Hopefully, that was the last client for today because he didn't want to deal with anymore today. It was already late in the day and Naruto wanted to visit Hinata at least once before the day was done. In the short amount of time since his ascension to the head of the Kitsune Naruto found himself spending a considerable amount of time with the Hyuga Heirress. It wasn't so much that he was playing an angle to use her to his own ends as it was enjoying her company. She was practically _the _female friend he had, a considerable change of pace since he only knew men in and out of the clan.

Additionally, he found the Hyuga heiress to be a kind and caring person beneath her timid demeanor. This came at odds with her social status, what reason did the heiress of one of Konoha's most powerful clans have to be so timid?

His answer came in the form of an accidental meeting with her father while the two were enjoying a snack one evening. Her father stormed in to the restaurant in search of his daughter and spotted the two of them in a corner booth, "Hinata!"

When the two turned their heads to see her father, Hinata's face immediately paled more than normal whilst her father stormed towards her, "So it is true! How dare you dishonor the family name by befriending bosuzoku!"

"Now hold on a minute-" Naruto yelled at her father, slamming his fist against the table. Her father shot him a cold glare and crossed his arms, "Silence! This doesn't concern you! How dare you sink to the level of a lowly criminal Hinata."

"Father, I-"

"Not only have you failed to measure up to the title of the Hyuga Heirress, you nearly killed your cousin and have aligned yourself with these lowlifes!"

"We aren't lowlifes you hypocritical-"

"I said silence! Don't you dare try to criticize me or the way I lead my clan, you filthy INVALID!"

Those words struck a cord with Naruto and, without much hesitation or second thought, he raised his fist to strike the man. Only to be thrown backwards in to a wall with a loud crunch.

"Na-Kitsune!" HInata cried out, running to his side with her father looking on in disgust. As Naruto tried to steady himself, the Hyuga Elder turned on his heels, "I've seen enough. Do as you wish Hinata but know you are no longer welcome among the Hyuga. You are hereby banished from the Hyuga. May you spend the rest of your days as an invalid."

Naruto could see it as plain as day on Hinata's face as her father left. Deep down, Hinata had been broken. Her eyes were hollow and empty, bearing no semblance to the Hinata Naruto had come to know. When Naruto escorted Hinata back to her home, it was to the sight of her belongings left outside the main gate with two of the clansmen standing guard. When she tried to enter, they stopped her and explained they were on orders to keep her from entering. When Hinata demanded to know why, they pushed her to the ground and threatened to kill her if she didn't leave. This had all been days ago and Naruto made arrangements for her to stay at his old apartment ever since.

He really didn't understand the politics of the Hyuuga Clan but he could understand her father's anger, which weighed heavy on Naruto in the form of guilt. Naruto considered attempting to reason with the Hyuuga clan head but decided against it considering the obvious friction the man held for any boryokudan. To add to the stress, Naruto now had to manage damage control over the Kaki and Enkou who were now so busy infighting over who should become the new clan head that they didn't have the time to pay attention to anything the Kitsune did.

This made it easy to slowly beat away the competition, but it also made it difficult to contain their fighting since their disorganized in fighting resembled anarchic rioting more than coordinated combat. Individually, their acts of violence against each other amounted to very little damage but it was causing a scare socially and politically. In turn, this hurt the Kitsune's income and business despite Shinji's best efforts to turn profits. Naruto had to prove he could take a handle of the situation before things got out of hand and Hashi-sensei would have to intervene.

All of this took a backseat to Naruto's current desire at the moment and that was to check on Hinata. He worried for her well-being and quickly left the office after grabbing his coat. Two of the guards insisted on escorting him but Naruto insisted he would be alright by himself. With his hands in his pockets, Naruto walked the familiar route back to his old apartment. Every few feet, some of the villagers would greet him with a curt bow and some of the Kitsune would nod in acknowledgement in his direction. Naruto would return all of these with a gentle smile, something he wasn't sure they could see given he had taken to wearing his rice hat to conceal his face. The worn and dirtied rice hat didn't exactly fit with his neatly tailored suit, but it wasn't exactly for him to complain since he was still trying to maintain a low profile. Then again, it was probably a moot point since everyone in the village and beyond seemed to already know he was here.

He arrived at the apartment and knocked on the door, casually asking, "Hey Hinata, are you in?"

What awaited him on the other side was the last thing he expected to greet him. It was a sharp slap across the face followed by a harsh, "What are you doing here Naruto! I'm pretty sure you're the last person Hinata wants to see right now!"

"Sakura…it's okay. Let him in."

Sakura stepped away, lowering the hand she used to slap Naruto and stepping aside so Naruto could enter. Inside, he found Sasuke, HInata and their sensei whom, if he recalled, was called Kakashi. Kakashi was hold an orange book oddly titled Come Come Paradise, a book he seemed more deeply interested in than Naruto's arrival. To Naruto's chagrin, Sasuke was sitting directly beside Hinata with his arms and legs crossed. Trying to remain as unsurprised as possible, he asked, "Why are you guys here?"

"We heard Hinata was disowned by her clan and came to check up on her," Sasuke said with an unusual amount of empathy, surprising Naruto most of all since he wasn't exactly aware Sasuke was capable of anything beyond brooding and anger. Sakura closed the door behind him and sat on Hinata's bed, formerly Naruto's. Folding his arms, Naruto nodded and replied, "Well that's good. I was just coming to do the same. How are you doing, Hinata?"

"I'm…fine," she replied sheepishly, twiddling her forefingers together, "Thanks for setting all of this up for me."

"You don't have to thank me. It's the least I could do since this is my fault anyway. I'm sorry this happened."

"You should be," Sakura chimed in, "If you had just left her alone, she wouldn't be in this mess."

"It's…alright, Sakura," Hinata tried playing the peacemaker only to find Sakura replying, "Hinata, it _is _his fault. If he just backed off, you would still be living with your family."

"Look I'm sorry," Naruto answered defensively, "I didn't mean for this to happen and I'm doing everything I can to make it right. I know it doesn't look like much, but it's all I can do at the moment. Hinata, I swear I will make this right!"

"You don't have to. You've already helped me-" Hinata began, only to be stopped by Naruto clasping his hands around hers and declaring, "It's a promise, I swear!"

Naruto unknowingly bore his trademark grin, which sent Hinata's skin into a very bright shade of red. Before anyone knew what happened, Hinata let out a very loud yelp and head butted Naruto in the forehead. The blonde gang boss flew backwards and hit his head against the door, groaning in clear agony, "I deserved that, I guess."

"Naruto, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…it was an accident! Honest!" Hinata rambled off apologetically. Naruto waved it off, rubbing his forehead sorely and calmly replied, "Don't worry, I've been worse."

"Well, I'd hate to interrupt this moment, but I believe we have an unwanted guest who should make himself present," Kakashi said abruptly, closing his book and shifting his gaze out the window, "You can come out now."

As if by magic, a window slid open by itself and a swift breeze shot in. Kneeling in the middle of the room was none other than Haku, which had Sakura on her guard in moments, "It's you!"

"Oh, hello," Haku greeted the kunoichi nonchalantly. Surprised, Naruto scratched his head and asked his good friend, "Why are you here Haku?"

"Forgive me N…Kitsune," Haku bowed, "People in your predicament are often targeted for assassination by rival organizations. So I decided to follow you and make sure nothing happened."

"You don't have to call me that Haku, they know who I am," Naruto pointed out. Haku gazed around at the rest of the room's occupants and took stock of them, gauging their abilities and basing the appropriate course of action. He immediately deemed they were not an immediate threat except for Sakura, who was still standing at the ready. With a forced sighed, Haku reassured her with a calm tone, "I'm not going to hurt anyone, so you can relax."

"Naruto, what's going on here?" Sakura demanded. In Haku's defense, Naruto answered, "It's okay Sakura. Haku's my best friend, he isn't going to hurt anyone."

"Coming from you, that's very reassuring," she replied sarcastically, much to Naruto's obliviousness. A tense silenc followed and was broken only when Hinata squeaked and said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I should probably put on some tea."

"I'll get it," Naruto answered, "I'm guessing everything is still where I left it?"

Hinata nodded, letting Naruto go through his old cupboards in search for some cups, his old water heater and some tea leaves. He was able to produce the tea after a few minutes of fumbling with the items and poured enough tea for each person in the room. All the while, not a single word was uttered as everyone merely chose to watch Naruto work. Once he passed a cup to everyone, albeit more hesitantly with Sasuke, he crossed his legs and sat on the floor across from Hinata, "So aside from following me, is there anything else I should know about?"

"Nothing new," was Haku's answer, "The remainders of the Kaki and the Enkou are killing each other off as anticipated. Some of the smarter members have already defected to our clan. In addition, they've agreed to give their earnings as a tribute and a sign of good faith in their commitment to joining us."

"Speaking of earnings, has anyone found out what the matches will be in the upcoming exam?" Naruto asked eagerly, hoping to get another of his many duties as clan head out of the way. Haku frowned, "No, the chunin organizers are keeping a tight lip on it. Even our contacts don't know who'll be matched against who."

Naruto clicked his tongue in despair and turned to Sakura and Sasuke, "Do either of you two know who you'll be fighting in the third exam?"

"I'm supposed to fight Gaara," Sasuke answered bitterly, his tone showing absolutely no restraint in the mount of spite he held. Hinata frowned and replied, "And I'm supposed to fight Kiba."

"Hmm…Gaara and Kiba. Why do those names ring a bell?" Naruto pondered, rubbing his chin while taking a sip of tea, "I know I've heard those names before. Nope, I can't place it. Haku?"

"As I recall, Kiba is a member of Konoha's Inuzuka Clan and Gaara is the son of Suna's Fourth Kazekage."

"He was the guy that appeared in the alley that one day, remember," Sakura added. Under normal circumstances this probably would have struck a cord with Naruto but the pressures of being a gang boss and all the stress that accompanied the position were blocking his memory. In his mind, all he could envision were a dog and a pot full of sand, which he was certain were nowhere near what the two looked like.

"Uh…you're an idiot, you know that," Sakura responded, much to Naruto's chagrin. As opposed to dignifying it with a response, Naruto ran a hand through his hair and asked Haku, "What do you figure the odds would be in that fight?"

"HEY! Don't bring your stupid gangster gambling into this!" Sakura growled, smacking Naruto again. The blonde was unsure how he never noticed, but Sakura was ungodly violent. Rubbing the area where Sakura hit him, Naruto replied, "It's not gambling, it's business."

"The hell it is," Sasuke answered sarcastically, "I hear you guys rig those matches to get better results."

"It looks like I've overstayed my welcome," Naruto said, downing the remainder of his tea and proceeding to the front door. Hinata spoke his name once, but this did not deter him from leaving the apartment complex. Haku soon left after him, departing out the same window he climbed in through.

…………

A few uneventful days went by, marked only by the flood of tourists into the village to see the final portion of the exam. In addition, Haku and Naruto had worked hard to ensue improved security for all business and territories under the Kitsune. Something was supposed to happen on this day, according to Yahiko. He just didn't know what.

Naruto busily sorted out the last of the paperwork before grabbing his coat and attempting to leave the office. Unfortunately, he was stopped by Shinji who asked, "Boss, have you figured out the assignments for today? A lot of the guys want to know if you'll have them patrolling or working the books."

"You can figure that out Shinji," Naruto replied, "I want to go see the Third Exam."

"Boss-" Shinji tried to protest, stopping when Naruto waved it off, "Look, I trust your judgment Shinji. Take care of it."

"Boss, Chairman Kuroihi is here!" Shinji sternly called. That alone was enough to pause Naruto in his track, making him double back to ask, "What?"

"Chairman Kuroihi is here," Shinji repeated himself, "He's asking to see the new clan head."

Naruto never expected to see the chairman here of all times, especially given the upcoming events. Naruto took a minute to inspect himself and realized he was completely unpresentable, assuming Hashi-sensei's presentantion was the precedent. Naruto quickly began arranging his clothes: tucking in his shirts, straightening his pants and coat, patting excess dust off himself and anything else to make himself at least half way decent. When Naruto was done, he said, "Okay, let him in."

Shinji nodded and disappeared into the lobby, while Naruto retreated back into his office. He quickly began arranging his desk and putting his room in order, wondering to himself how it came to be such a mess in the first place. He hastened himself, and dropped what he was doing only when he heard the door to his office open. Rushing behind his desk, Naruto took note of the cane that appeared through the door first. When the door finally opened, the aged man Naruto had briefly met many years ago walked in. He was dressed in the same white kimono, albeit more loosely. He also noted the old man appeared more sickly than before. In tow were his younger counterpart, dressed in the same black suit as other Kuroihi and two guards.

Chairman Kuroihi stopped just short of Naruto and leaned in uncomfortably close. Naruto blinked and took a step back awkwardly. The old man frowned, "I'm afraid in my old age, my eyes aren't as good as they used to be. Have we met before? You look strangely familiar."

"Yes, we have," Naruto replied, bowing in the respectful Yakuza manner, "It was at Has…err, Boss Hashi's Manor. I was his ward."

"Am I the only one who thinks all this formality is ridiculous?" Chairman Kuroihi asked, taking the moment to what Naruto in the shin with his cane, "No more bowing, and calling me chairman or boss or whatever. My name is Ryouke. And you are?"

"Err, it's Naruto, Ryouke," Naruto replied nervously, unsure of what to make of the elderly man's behavior. Was this really how the head of such a large gang behaved, or had senility finally caught up with him? Whatever the case, Ryouke nodded and took a seat, "Good. Naruto, if you don't mind, I would like to take a seat. I'm not as young as I used to be."

"Oh, go right ahead," Naruto answered, pulling his chair from behind the desk and offering it to the old man. He gratefully took his seat, when his younger escort rushed to help him, "Sir, let me-"

"Oh for the love of," Ryouke caught himself, "I'm your father for heaven's sake, Yamato! The least you can do is call me dad."

"Uh…right, dad," Yamato answered sheepishly, assisting his father into the chair. Ryouke nodded and dismissed the two body guards. He returned his attention to Naruto and Yamato, "Anyway. Naruto, I'm here today exclusively on pleasure and not business. Ten years ago, I stumbled upon what I thought was a sparring match but later turned out to be the chunin exam. Ever since, I have been going to every Chunin Exam since."

"Alright, I'll make arrangements for us to-"

"I already have made arrangements," Ryouke replied, "I've reserved three seats in the Nobles' Seating Area of the arena. One for me, one for my son, and the last for whoever happens to be in charge of Konoha's Kuroihi Branch. Congratulations, Boss Kitsune Naruto."

"Uzumaki," Naruto corrected.

"I beg your pardon?"

"My last name isn't Kitsune, it's Uzumaki," Naruto answered, earning him a fascinated look from Ryouke, "Uzumaki…tell me, does the name Uzumaku Kushina mean anything to you?"

"No, should it?" Naruto asked. Ryouke pondered this for a while and quickly dismissed it, "No, I suppose it shouldn't. After all, we're in the Land of Fire and she was from the Land of Whirlpools. I guess you're probably a distant blood relative…anyway, the tournament will begin soon so I think now would be a good time to depart."

"I'm sorry sir, but there's something we need to discuss first," Naruto said intrusively, much to Ryouke's chagrin, "Someone from Oto threatened Konoha with some kind of violence that is supposed to happen today. I think it would be safer if we brought more guards."

"Is that it?" Ryouke asked, which Naruto nodded to. The old man simply laughed and patted Naruto on the head, "You worry too much Naruto. Threats like these are passed all the time. A new comer village wants some respect from one of the Five Great Villages or one of the Great Villages wants to keep the others in check. If you worried over every little thing like that, you'd be too afraid to leave your own home."

"But I really think we should pay a little attention to this one," Naruto pleaded to no effect. Ryouke was already long gone out the door and showed no signs of coming back. Yamato looked out the door after his father, glanced back at Naruto and frowned, "Sorry kid, dad usually gets his way."

"I'm sure," Naruto grimaced and motioned to the door, "Let's get going."

The two of them ventured after the old man, disdainfully knowing neither would make any form of headway in communicating with the man.

…………

**Author's Notes: **Yawn, another chapter over and done with. NIU will be the death of me, which is better in comparison. My next update will be in six weeks on Friday, December 18th. If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on the Facebook or Playstation Network (PSN ID leo11235). Don't forget to check out my Resistance Sample. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	32. Kyubi's Deal

**Disclaimer: **Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as a cartoon by Viz Media. The Art of War is the published text of Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicates, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Notes: **Happy assorted religious/ethnic celebrations to all of you. Why? Because Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, etc are all upon us and it's time of merry festivities and good will. To that end, I'd like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year. In addition, as is usually with the holiday season, my cynicism is at an all time high! Whee! Winter break came around early so I had a little more time to work on this than I expected. I did my best to revise and errors (grammatical or otherwise) but I would like to remind you all that some things can get past my radar. For that, I apologize. However, there is one review I want to share because it made me laugh so hard:

'This is the last time I'm going to read this fic since I hate and loathe Pro Sasuke fics! I hope you write the next Naruto fics that are not pro Sasuke fics,good bye.'

I really just can't stop laughing at it because it reminds me of my little brother holding his breath because he doesn't want to eat his brocolli for dinner. Speaking of little brothers, Sasuke Vs Danzou! Place your bets folks! Whose going to win? :P To the rest of you readers, I would like to thank you all for supporting this story for another year and I hoped you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. This story would not be where it is now without your support and I truly appreciate it. Now then, on to review responses:

**Dark Ravie: **Thank you, thank you. Now please enjoy another chapter of my best fic yet.

**All Nightmare Long: **Didn't mean to scare you there i.i; sorry about that. Needless to say, I did a lot of research while writing this ic to get it as accurate as possible. Honestly though, racism transcends all cultures and ethnicities. On that subject, Brazilians identify 200+ races. At least the Japanese keep it simple: Us and Them. AS for the Kaki head, I was kind of going for more of a pitbull but you're right, he is like a Chihuahua. XP – (Honestly though, I prefer Bassets over Chihuahas)

**Peter Kim: **Since we're being honest here, I'm not entirely going to miss you're readership.

**Vincent56926: **I'm glad you liked it but don't read too much in to it because I won't touch on Naruto's parents too much. It's been explored to death and it's not an angle I can toy with as much as I want.

**T3Ko: **I'm glad you did. If you're familiar with Ouran High School Host Club, I modeled the Chairman around both Tamaki Suoh and Kyoya Otori.

**Irish-Surfer 22: **No, thank you for reading this story. Please continue to enjoy!

**Obsidian Fireheart: **Thanks so much for the encouragement Fireheart. I'm glad you enjoyed this take on Naruto and I hope you continue to.

**Bandgsecurtiyaw: **Glad you liked it! Please continue to read and enjoy!

**Glennis: **I have absolutely no clue what you're talking about. Seriously, I don't. Is that a mistype? An idiom? I really have no clue. Google searching took me to a link about apple pies but I doubt it's related.

**Guak: **And also with you, dear reader. I hope you continue to read and enjoy this fic.

**Shadow-Sensei: **My face book is linked right in my profile here on , however I will try to send you an invite Sensei. Also Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too.

And so, without further ado, I present the continuation of Oyabun.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 32: Kyubi's Deal**

Hinata faced off against her opponent, Inuzuka Kiba. Much like his match during the preliminary, the chunin proctor permitted Akamaru to be at his side. This put Hinata at a disadvantage for two reasons: First, it put her at a two to one disadvantage. Second, it meant Kiba had complete access to all of the Inuzuka special jutsu while Hinata only had a few techniques. She assumed the fighting stance of the Juken and awaited the proctor's signal.

"Begin!"

Hinata charged forward, knowing she could end the match now if she disabled either Kiba or Akamaru. Both of them were needed for any of the Inuzuka techniques to work. Somewhere, up in the stands, Hinata could feel Naruto's eyes on her. She would not disappoint him. She pressed her hand forward, focusing chakra into the tips of her fingers and taking aim at the chakra points in his neck.

Just an inch from his face, the two leapt in opposite directions and out of her path. She activated her byakugan, knowing they would both try to stay just far enough apart for her to keep both of them out of her view at the same time. With her byakugan, she witnessed Akamaru charging her from behind and Kiba from the front.

Hinata began to spin on her heel, dizzying herself but maintaining enough focus and momentum to mimic one of her clan's more renown techniques: Hakke Rokujuyon Sho. Kiba and Akamaru were already going too fast to stop themselves, and ran head long into her defense. She took aim at each of their chakra points and made her move. She counted the number of strikes: two, four, eight, sixteen, twenty-three, thirty.

To her dismay, she struck all sixty-four hits, but only marked thirty chakra points total. Eighteen on Kiba and twelve on Akamaru and neither would be enough to stop them. The two Inuzuka recoiled backwards and gathered them selves together. Kiba reached into his kunai pouch and retrieved a small black pill that he ate. Instantaneously, all the chakra points Hinata had worked hard to seal reopened with twice the amount of chakra as before. She didn't know how it happened, but Kiba was reaching for another one and Hinata couldn't allow his chakra to become anymore powerful.

In a manner reminiscent of a certain blonde academy drop out, Hinata rushed Kiba without much thought for her own safety. Kiba raised the pill in his hand, and opened his mouth into a grin. He flicked his thumb and sent the pill flying towards his canine companion.

Hinata spun on her heel to try and divert herself towards the speeding pill capsule. She reached her hand out to grab it, only for Akamaru to leap up into the air and catch it in his mouth. Hinata watched the chakra grow at an exponentional rate in the dog's little body, turning his white fur coat a shocking blood red.

…………

In the Noble's section of the stands - amongst the many feudal lords and noble families, Naruto watched disdainfully as the battle turned against Hinata. The blonde shinobi was on the edge of his seat; shifting uncomfortably every few seconds as he watched the two Inuzukas begin a wave of attacks against her. He didn't need this on his shoulders; seeing her lose after coming this far when it was his fault for her misfortune with her clan.

Ryouke must have sensed the tension and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Relax, Boss Naruto. The young Hyuga maiden trusted you, did she not? Surely you can put a little trust in her."

"What do you mean chai-" Naruto tried to ask, only to be hit in the face with the old man's cane. Ryouke sighed, "My name is Ryouke. I will not tolerate any kind of formality inside the family."

"Okay, Ryouke, what do you mean?" Naruto asked, annoyed by the old man's uncalled for attack with the cane. Ryouke smiled and patted the blonde on the head, "I mean I may be old, but I'm not stupid. Anyone can see that you've fallen for the Hyuga girl, whether you want to admit it or not."

"Wait, who says I've fallen for Hinata?" Naruto protested, knowing that he had become close to her but never acknowledging Hinata as more than a friend. Ryouke rolled his eyes and snickered, "Ah, to be young and stupid."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Listen Naruto, I've been alive for a very long time. Do you honestly think I don't know love when I see it? Although, given your age it probably doesn't go beyond small crush yet. In either case, I envy your youth and your naivety. Believe me, my son was just like that when he was your age. Too bad he never learned to grow up."

"Okay chairman, I think you've said-"

Yamato was cut off by Ryouke, who chose to smack him on the head with his cane, "I said, call me Dad. This boy's first words were chairman, you see. He never learned to call me anything else, not even father. I suppose I should grow accustomed to it since he doesn't plan to break the habit but it does break an old man's heart."

"Okay, dad, you can shut up now!"

"What in Heaven!" Ryouke replied. Naruto was certain the old man had been hurt by his son's words and was certain Yamato would receive the physical beating of a lifetime. Except, Ryouke pulled his son into a hug and tearfully exclaimed, "This is the first time in your life you've been angry with me! Words can't express my happiness!"

"Excuse me, Chairman Kuroihi," a noble's servant appeared beside him, "Forgive my rudeness, but this is a public event and your disturbing some of the other guests here."

With a nervous glance to side, Naruto noticed a nobleman two-rows above leering resentfully at Ryouke. Ryouke patted the servant on the shoulder and grinned, "Please, tell your master that if he has any quarrel with me then he can at least be so kind as to tell me in person. Also remind him of his place as the feudal lord's lap dog. And if he gives you or your family any trouble, please come to me."

The servant bowed and left to deliver the message to his master. Glancing up, Naruto watched a small shiver run down the length of the noble's body. He nodded, casting a weary glance at Ryouke before returning his attention to the match. For what he believed to be the umpteenth time, Naruto was amazed by how the carefree old man could also be in command of the most feared Ninkyo Dantai, so much so that he was capable of intimidating nobles with just a few sentences. He would easily have dismissed Ryouke as senile were it not for his command of the entire organization which brought up another point. How had he managed to attain the position as head of the organization when he was more childish than his own son?

Then again, that was probably how he was able to hold the position for so long. There was no true way to know what he was really thinking. It was possible that he was able to cloak his intentions merely by masking them with other, more vocal intentions. Of course, that was all speculation and Naruto had no way to confirm any of it.

Regardless, Naruto returned his attention to the fight below between Hinata and Kiba. Thoughts of Ryouke's assertion of some romantic interest between Hinata and himself flooded his mind. Yes, he and Hinata had become closer- there was no denying it. But he just couldn't see Hinata in the same light as Sakura. At best, he was probably just guilty over having triggered her family's disownment of her. It occurred to him Ryouke was simply trying to mess with his head but his interest was peaked and he wondered if Ryouke was trying to point out something on Hinata's end. He would have to talk with her after her match.

……………

"Gatsuga!" Kiba and Akamaru spun around in really fast motion, moving across the battlefield at just enough speed to keep Hinata moving. One of the main strengths of the Juken was its use as a defensive ability; whole techniques relied heavily on the user's ability to hold their ground. The many rotational movements of the Juken put the user at a disadvantage if they had to move linearly.

Kiba must have known that fact in order if he knew all he had to do was keep Hinata on the move. This put Hinata at a significant disadvantage if she couldn't find a way to return to the offensive. An old expression came to mind, 'To kill a big fire, set off an even bigger one beside it.' She never could make heads or tails of the expression, but the concept of an even bigger fire gave her an idea. With little thought for her well being, or that of Kiba and Akamaru's, Hinata scattered a roll of exploding tags across the ground around her.

She couldn't tell if it was Akamaru or Kiba who triggered the resulting explosion, but one of them hit a paper bomb and ignited all the others in the process. Smoke settled over the arena and Hinata took this chance to dig in to the ground around her. With the aid of the byakugan, she identified the silhouettes of Kiba and Akamaru charging towards her. She hoped the smell of the explosive residue would mask her scent, buying her time to produce an effective strategy, but it couldn't be helped. They had her location and she would have to work fast if she was going to come out on top.

She ran a series of hand signs, and quietly murmured, "Henge!"

"Gatsuga!"

She couldn't tell if it was Kiba or Akamaru, but one of the two charged towards her and stopped in its tracks just as the smoke cleared to reveal three Kibas. The real Kiba was taken a back and smirked, "Do you honestly think I would fall for that?"

Hinata should have anticipated her disguise wouldn't work, given Inuzuka clan's famous nose that could distinguish a single person in a large crowd from upwards of 200 meters away. Kiba took one wild swing at her and sent her flying backwards. In that second she was airborne, she performed a second set of hand signs and concentrated her chakra. She hit the ground and transformed into Akamaru.

It was enough to throw off Kiba, who quickly attacked the real Akamaru. With his attention turned away, Hinata took the chance to strike. She undid the transformation and charged forward. Kiba took notice of the deception just in time for Hinata to land 64 strikes on Kiba's chakra points. Kiba was unable to block the attack and could step backwards in surprise when Hinata was done. There was a look of horror on Kiba's face, which Hinata could understand given the amount of pain derived from blocked chakra points. Kiba tried to say something, but his voice was too soft to make anything discernible. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell into Hinata. She managed to catch and apologetically murmured, "I'm sorry, Kiba."

The proctor quickly declared Hinata the winner of the match and two there was a burst of applause above. Hinata quietly retreated into the participant's area on the other end of the field, whilst two medics arrived and transported Kiba into a makeshift recovery room beside it. On her way back, she saw Shikamaru and the blonde Suna Kunoichi pass by which suggested Sasuke had yet to appear. To add to the surprise, Naruto was waiting right outside the competitor's area and massaging his forehead with his hand.

"Naruto?"

"Hey, congratulations," Naruto waved dismissively, "That was…some match."

"Oh, thank you," Hinata felt the blood rushing to her face. Not even the heat of her match could match the tension his presence was causing her. The sudden rush of blood was too much and she feared passing out in front of him. To save face, she pushed her way past Naruto only to find him blocking the only door, "Is everything alright, Hinata?"

"Oh, yes, why do you ask?" Hinata murmured, feeling faint. Naruto paused for a moment, examining Hinata for the longest time. They both made eye contact, and in that brief moment Hinata felt completely at ease. Naruto frowned and replied, "It's nothing. I'll be cheering for you in your next match, so good luck."

"Oh, thank you," Hinata nodded. He stepped aside and let her into the waiting area. As she shut the door behind her, she heard a loud thud and a subsequent, "Man, I'm an idiot!"

Hinata had no idea what to make of it but couldn't help thinking that maybe, and just maybe, Naruto did like her. She knew she was just fantasizing in her head, but a girl could have her dreams couldn't she?

……………

"I concede!" Shikamaru said matter-of-factly, much to the dismay of everyone in the audience. His match against Temari was nothing short of amazing, lulling his enemy into a false sense of security and then luring him into a planned trap that she had no escape from. As the crowd roared with disapproval, Shikamaru went on to explain, "Believe me, I've already planned out the next 200 steps for this plan. But I'm out of chakra and it would be troublesome to replan the whole thing. You win."

There were more boos as Shikamaru walked out of the arena, not that Naruto could see anything wrong with it. Most of these people were here to see an exciting fight, not a long and drawn out series of tactical maneuvers that were nothing short of genius. Naruto had to applaud Shikamaru's intelligence, considering how lazy he was in the academy.

Ryouke was one of the few to actually applaud the boy, pointing out to him and saying, "You see! That's the kind of intelligence you want in a Saiko Komon, Naruto. You might want to make a note of that."

"What's wrong with my current Saiko Komon?"

"Nothing," Ryouke replied, "But you'll find that a Saiko-Komon who can fight a war for you is more valuable than one who makes a lot of money."

"I think I'm fine with Shinji, thanks," Naruto replied calmly, "Whose up next?"

"The match listing says it was supposed to be Sasuke Vs Gaara but for some reason they skipped over to Shikamaru Vs Temari," Yamato replied sheepishly, "That means it could be the Sasuke-Gaara match or the Shino-Kankuro match."

"That's weird, I didn't see Sasuke in the participant's area when I went there earlier," Naruto mentioned. That statement alone caught Ryouke's attention, "Oh? I thought you were going to the bathroom. Were you saying hello to Lady Hyuga?"

"Wait, I-um-" Naruto stumbled, trying to catch his words. Unfortunately, all he could manage to do was utter some gibberish that sounded somewhere between a cough and a laugh, "Byork?"

Ryouke laughed heartily, so much so that Naruto feared he would burst a lung. There was a loud shush from the upper rows, which were silenced only when Ryouke took a side-glance upwards, "If you have something to say, then please say so. I'm afraid my hearing isn't as good as it used to be."

A strong silence ensued as the nobles above them returned their attention to the field below. The crowd grew restless and began chanting to see the Uchiha match. Several of the lesser nobles even joined the chanting, creating a stir in the Kage seating area. Looking skyward to the balcony that overlooked the arena, Naruto spotted the elderly Hokage sitting beside the masked Kazekage. The two were clearly discussing how to respond to the growing uproar and finally sent one of the jonin down to the area below.

The jonin spoke with the proctor briefly and then returned to the Hokage's side while the proctor made an announcement, "Attention, Uchiha Sasuke's math has been extended another few minutes while we await his arrival. Until then, we will have the next match: Aburame Shino Vs-"

"Don't mind me!" the Suna nin known as Kankuro called from the waiting area, "I forfeit my match! Go on ahead to the next match."

The proctor was apparently baffled by Kankuro's sudden choice of action and looked to the Hokage nervously for what to do next. Once again, the Kages spoke between themselves before sending the jonin down again to deliver their decision. Sullen, the proctor nervously announced, "May I have your attention please. There will be a ten minute intermission while we wait for Uchiha Sasuke's arrival."

The crowd roared their disapproval and impatience. Clearly, Sasuke's match was the highlight of the entire tournament. Naruto, who didn't feel like sitting around for ten minutes, got to his feet and stretched his arms.

"Going to visit Ms. Hyuga?" Ryouke asked slyly, forcing Naruto's face to red, "No, I'm going to the bathroom."

"Well don't take too long," Ryouke joked, as Naruto stormed away. Much to his dismay, Ryouke guessed right: he was planning on stopping by to see how Hinata was doing. Out of concern as a friend, he reminded himself, not because of a fairy tale attraction for her that he swore he didn't have. He joined the growing crowd that was dispersing for the concession stand and the bathrooms.

As he turned down the hallway leading to the competitor's area, he couldn't help passing by Sakura and Ino who were expressing their concern for Sasuke in the least subtle manner possible.

"I hope Sasuke's okay. You don't think something happened to him do you?"

"No, of course not," Sakura replied to her blonde friend, "I'm sure he's just a little late. Kakashi-sensei said he had something to show him."

"I bet it was that pervy book your sensei's always reading," Ino replied matter-of-factly. At that moment, Sakura took notice of Naruto and leered, "Why are you here?"

"I could ask you the same thing Sakura," Naruto replied dismissively, "But since you've asked, I'm going to say hi to Hinata."

"You're just lucky she's so nice," Sakura replied, "If I were her, I wouldn't let you near me Naruto."

"Well you're not her so there," was Naruto's poorly meditated comeback. Sakura rolled her eyes in discontent while Ino gaped in disbelief, "Naruto!? You're supposed to be dead! I thought you said he was dead Sakura!"

"Am I not?"

"He faked his death," Sakura explained bitterly, "He did it so he could become a big shot yakuza."

"What is your problem with me, Sakura?" Naruto asked, stepping in front of Sakura and Ino. Sakura wore a confused expression on her face, hidden by a poor attempt to remain serious. Naruto went on to explain, "I hear it in your voice Sakura. Even when you say my name…you sound disgusted. Tell me what I did to make you hate me so much. All I've ever tried to do is be your friend."

Sakura leered at him, her eyes revealing quite some period of frustration beneath them. Naruto was almost taken aback by the intensity of the gaze but reminded himself of his position as a gang boss. After a long, intense stare down, Sakura began, "It's because of how low you've sunk. No matter how much of an idiot you were in the Academy Naruto, you always screamed how you'd never give up – how you'd one day surpass the Hokage. To be honest, I thought you were annoying for it but I always respected that part of you: the part where you always gave it your all no matter what. But then you started hanging around the Yakuza, and then anyone who gave you a hard time started to disappear. Next thing we know, you're one of them. I never would have thought you would sink so low to beco-"

"Watch your mouth Sakura," Naruto warned, having drawn his sword and pointing it dangerously close to Sakura's neck. Sakura had already countered his move and was holding a kunai just below where his heart was. Sakura clicked her tongue, "See? This is what I mean. You're just like them now, another criminal who trades blood for money."

"You're one to talk Sakura," Naruto replied, "You know those S-Rank Assassination Missions you ninja take? What makes them so different? Is it because you have a piece of paper from the Feudal Lord saying you have permission to do so? And what about these people you assassinate? They have families don't they? Parents, children, grand children, uncles…"

Naruto trailed off before he could finish his argument. Sakura remained unimpressed, pressing the point, "The difference is that our assassination targets are criminals, not innocent people."

"That's where your wrong, Sakura," Naruto countered, "You're targets are no different from ours. They all did something to break the law, the only difference is whose law applies. In this case, you think the laws and rules of Konoha are a better justification for assassination. There's nothing different about what we do Sakura, except for how we justify doing it."

"Don't think you can win my sympathy with a few words Naruto," Sakura replied, "You're nothing more than a criminal."

Sakura pushed pass him, with Ino in tow. While she seemed to side with Sakura, her expression clearly bore bewilderment. They disappeared into the competitor's area and left Naruto alone to contemplate his anger. Sakura's words had more effect on him than he wanted to admit and she appeared set in her beliefs. He clenched his fists angrily at the thought of his defeat and replaced _Kitsune_ in its scabbard. Naruto hid his hands in his pockets and quickly returned to the Nobles' seating area. He still wanted to speak with Hinata and would have preferred to go see her but he refused to do so if Sakura was present. On the way, he heard the PA declare, "May I have your attention please: Uchiha Sasuke has arrived at the stadium. The intermission will continue for the remaining five minutes before the match begins."

Naruto sighed and immediately turned on his heels, walking right back to the competitor's area. He had a gut feeling neither Sakura nor Ino would be there much longer. Of course, that didn't stop him from being surprised when a blonde and pink blur shot out the competitor's area and straight towards the stands. Hinata emerged from the door, reaching out hopelessly and muttering, "Ino, Sak…Naruto?"

"Hey Hinata," Naruto greeted casually, "I just wanted to check up on you and make sure everything's okay."

"Yeah, everything's fine," Hinata answered sheepishly, her face growing bright red. Naruto instantly concluded something was amiss and put his hand on her forehead, "Are you sure? You look like you might have a fever."

"I'm…fine," Hinata remained adamant, freezing in place like a statue. Naruto knew she wasn't telling the truth but didn't want to press the matter if she didn't want to tell him the truth. He pulled his hand away from her, resigning in defeat and decided to tell her one more thing, "Well, keep your eyes peeled okay. I got some information that something bad is supposed to happen today. Take care of yourself, alright?"

Naruto then took off for the noble's seating area, unaware of Hinata's almost trance-like gaze after him. When he returned to his seat beside Ryouke, it was to the sound of Ryouke snickering, "So, how was the trip to the bathroom?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because you were gone quite a long time for someone who was just using the bathroom."

"There was a line."

"I doubt it," Ryouke said with a grin, "Everyone came back upon hearing of Master Uchiha's arrival. You on the other hand, took your sweet time."

"Because I don't like him," Naruto defended, which made Ryouke smile, "Is that jealousy I hear? Or is it a desire to have spent more time with Lady Hyuga?"

"Will you stop bringing that up!" Naruto stammered, feeling all the blood rush to his face from Ryouke's persistent insinuation. The old man chuckled and patted Naruto on the head, "You'll do fine. Now, I believe Master Uchiha's match will begin soon."

Below, Sasuke and the Suna Nin known as Gaara were busy staring each other down while Kakashi apologized to the chunin proctor. The proctor waved him off and took to examining the watch. Although he was far away, Naruto could tell something was amiss with Sasuke. His hair ran down to his shoulders and his limbs were wrapped in white bandages. In addition, Sasuke clothing now consisted of a single black jumpsuit instead of a blue high collar shirt and some white shorts. He seemed agitated, shifting his weight from leg to another in silent anticipation. Roughly two minutes passed before the proctor called for attention, "Okay, the match between Uchiha Sasuke and Gaara is about to begin. Are the participants ready?"

"Yes."

"Just start it already."

"Okay then, begin," the proctor said before leaping out of their way. Gaara took to the offensive and commanded the sand forward to capture Sasuke. Sasuke countered with a barrage of shuriken whilst he retreated to the far side of the arena and scaled the wall. A wall of sand emerged before Gaara, trapping Sasuke's shuriken before they could be of any harm.

By this time, Sasuke was well out of harm's way and was racing along the wall to the opposite end of the arena to attack Gaara from behind. Sasuke leapt off the wall and charged straight for Gaara, only to run head first into a shield of sand. Or so it seemed, as Gaara then flew backwards several feet from a direct hit scored by Sasuke.

Gaara caught himself before he fell over and countered Sasuke's attack through the use of his sand. Sasuke weaved through the waves of sand, slowly making his way to Gaara's side of the battlefield. From his seat above, Naruto could see Gaara was growing angrier by the second – that or more careless – as his attacks became less intricate and more reckless, demonstrating little regard for the proctor or those in the stands. Several of his attacks came dangerously close to the stands, stopped only by a large flame Sasuke shot out of his mouth. Naruto couldn't help but marvel at the intensity of the attack, noting that the heat of Sasuke's fire breath was hot enough to turn the sand into the glass and then shatter it. Clearly upset at the futility of his attacks, Gaara made grabbing motions with his arms. Naruto wasn't sure if it was some form of telepathy or a new jutsu, but the sand followed Gaara's grabbing motions – seemingly intent on capturing Sasuke now.

Once again, Sasuke demonstrated great skill and agility by easily maneuvering his way through the sand and towards Gaara once again. This time, Sasuke chose to use a close range fireball that caused Gaara to howl in pain. Unfortunately for Sasuke, he had to withdraw before he could do anything else as a result of the sand suddenly lunging towards him.

Naruto had no idea which intrigued him more: Gaara or his use of the sand. If he didn't know any better, he would say the sand had a will of its own and that it was going out of its way to protect Gaara. To that end, the sand began to wrap itself in a cocoon like fashion around Gaara – almost resembling the protective womb of a mother expecting a child.

Sasuke seemed aware of this too and threw a kunai with an explosive tag attached at the sand womb. The following explosion was unable to penetrate it, but a large pillar of sand reached out and made to grab Sasuke in retaliation. Sasuke moved backwards and avoided the arm, trying to put a great deal of distance between himself and the giant sphere of sand.

He even went so far as to climb to the very top of the wall, although his reason wasn't exactly clear for it. Sasuke performed a strange set of hand signs and became engulfed with sparks of electricity. The sound of birds chirping echoed through the air, and a hawk screeched somewhere as Sasuke took off down the wall at high speed. Using this moment, Sasuke redirected it towards Gaara and struck the sand sphere with an echoing screech, "Chidori!"

Naruto felt a sudden pain in his chest, as if it were on fire. His head began to spin uncontrollably, and the world began to slide in and out of focus. The only thing he could make out was Gaara's voice screeching, "BLOOD! MY BLOOD! GRRAAAHH!"

He felt a sudden blood lust well up inside him, an unexplainable desire to simply run down to the arena below and kill both Sasuke and Gaara. _**The Sharingan**_, a disembodied voice echoed, _**And the Ichibi no Shukaku! A Two for One Special! Kill them both! Kill them now! **_

The voice echoed in his mind, urging him to do unspeakable things to the two combatants. He was pulled out of this bizarre daze only when Ryouke shook his shoulder and inquired, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Naruto replied quietly, the contents of his stomach beginning to churn upwards, "I'm fine."

His answer was came in the form of the elderly Ryouke slumping to the side, and passing out on his armrest. In a similar manner, his son Yamato nodded off with his arms folded across his chest. Naruto had to admit the fight involved two people he had no interest in, but it wasn't boring enough for him to pass out. Or so he thought until glowing white feathers fluttered downward before him and he felt a strong fatigue overtake him. Before he knew it, he had passed out into a world of sleep.

…………

"Bo…Kitsu…to…Are you…Hey, G…off! Naruto?"

As Naruto slowly regained consciousness, it was to the sound of fighting and explosions somewhere in the distance. Rubbing his forehead to fight the throbbing pain, he let out a faint groan and gasped as a dead ninja in a balaclava fell over in front of him. There was a senbon needle sticking out of his neck, right where one of his vital arteries would have been. Naruto watched his eyes roll into the back of his head as he let out one last breath.

Haku appeared beside him and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Naruto replied, "What happened?"

"An invasion," Haku explained quickly, "Excuse me, GO AWAY!"

Haku stepped backwards for a second and elbowed another shinobi in the chest, this one wearing the standard attire of a Suna Nin. Haku then proceeded to punch him in the face, spin him around and use his body as a shield against several kunai. Haku kicked the shinobi away, towards two other Suna Nin who fell backwards over the ledge behind them. Making another check to be sure the coast was clear, Haku continued, "Ninja from Suna and Oto appeared along the west wall and are pushing their way towards the Hokage tower. Orochimaru has trapped the Hokage in a battle directly above us, so there's no one to coordinate the Konoha-nin."

"What about our assets?" Naruto asked, "The rest of the gang, our offices, our clients…"

"I've already sent out an order to lock down all the betting sites and our clients' property," Haku added, "I've even okayed the use of some of our safe houses as evacuation sites. Some of our men are already moving clients and important documents to these sites."

"Okay," Naruto nodded, trying to overcome his soar headache, "Good work. Ow, my head."

"The genjutsu's effects will take a while to wear off," Haku added, "For now, please stay here while I hold the attackers off."

"No, no," Naruto protested weakly, getting to his feet and racing to the end of the stairs, "Protect the chairman and his son."

"Where are you going?" Haku inquired.

Naruto stopped in his tracks and explained, "To go check on Hinata, I'll be back."

"Okay, stay safe."

Naruto nodded and raced away, drawing _Kitsune_ in case anyone tried to attack him. He had only traveled a few meters down the hallway, only to run across another shinobi in a purple balaclava standing guard by the entrance to the stands. When he saw Naruto he smirked, "This is going to be easy."

A Konoha Nin in green spandex then slammed him against the wall. Bright orange weights adorned his arms and legs, which did little to distract from his atrocious bowl-shaped haircut and a ridiculous smirk on his face. The masked shinobi was only able to groan, "So…fast…"

"Not just fast," The Konoha nin added, "Powerful too! For I am Maito Gai! Konoha's Noble Green Beast!"

Gai then proceeded to punch the poor Nin through the wall and create an opening to the outside. Dusting his hands and smiling confidently, Gai failed to notice a Suna Nin attacking from behind. Naruto rushed forward and raised his katana to block the Suna Nin's fist that came crashing down onto Naruto's blade. The Nin's split in two as it hit the edge of his blade and he screamed in horror, blood splattering all over Naruto as his oven arteries pumped out blood with each heartbeat. The man fainted to the side from blood loss, taking Naruto's sword with him.

Gai examined Naruto interestedly, feeling the first thing he should point out was, "Hey, you're yakuza!"

"Yep," Naruto replied, "If you'll excuse me."

Naruto tried to continue down to the combatant's area but was stopped short by Gai, "Wait, that part of the arena is on their side of the battle line."

"What? Are Hinata and the others alright?"

"Hinata?" Gai paused, "You mean Neji's cousin, right? Kakashi assigned her on a mission with two of her friends."

"Which way did they go?"

"That way," Gai pointed across the arena, in the direction of a large three headed snake that was tearing apart the far side of the village. Naruto thanked the Konoha Nin and took off in that direction, ignoring Gai's warning, "Wait! You're running right into enemy territory! Go away!"

Naruto pushed through, compelled in Hinata's direction. As he raced across the open arena, dodging stray kunai and shinobi in the middle of their own fights, he caught a glimpse of the Kage seating area. Or what was left of it at any rate. A large, dark void surrounded the roof just above it where Naruto caught sight of the elderly Hokage busy engaging a pale faced man with long dark hair – Orochimaru. He couldn't really see what they were doing, but he could tell that their fight would be of epic proportions.

Part of him wanted to stay and watch but Naruto knew he couldn't afford to be distracted. Whatever assignment Kakashi had put Hinata on, he knew it would be dangerous. He just hoped he didn't arrive too little, too late.

…………

Not too far away from the village, Hinata and Sakura had finally caught up to a severely wounded Sasuke. Hinata was taking Sasuke's place as the opponent to an enraged and empowered Gaara on a killing spree. Gaara wore his sand like armor in the shape of giant raccoon dog. Gaara let out a monstrous howl and jeered at Hinata ecstatically, "More prey! More for me to kill! Mother will be so happy! I'll give her all your blood as a present!"

Hinata had no idea what he was going on about but knew it didn't spell well for either her or her teammates. She looked back at Sakura and proclaimed, "Sakura, get Sasuke out of here! I'll hold Gaara off."

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me," Hinata yelled, "Just go!"

Sakura nodded and did her best to balance Sasuke's weight by carrying him over her shoulders. She tried to get away but was stopped in her tracks by a pillar of sand that pinned her and Sasuke against a tree. Hinata cursed her momentary lack of attention and weaved her way backwards from the attacking Gaara. Streams of sand attacked her from all sides, trying to land at least one hit on her. Unfortunately for Gaara, her byakugan was already active so there was little chance that Gaara would successfully hit her.

This only served to frustrate him further and he released a powerful shockwave in the form of a thunderous bellow. The sheer force knocked Hinata off balance and sent her head crashing into a nearby branch. She crashed into another branch below and was momentarily dazed. When she came to her senses, it was to the sight of Gaara towering over her triumphantly. He laughed maniacally and grabbed her with his giant sand hand; proceeding to slam her repeatedly into the tree branch below her, "DIE! DIE!"

Hinata felt her bones cracking inside from the sheer pressure of Gaara's grip and the overwhelming force with each crash into the ground. Hinata wanted to wail out in pain, but all the air had left her lungs.

"Hinata! LEAVE HER ALONE!" a voice bellowed from nowhere. Hinata felt Gaara's grip loosen and he shrieked in horror. She tried to focus her vision on Gaara, but could only make out a blurry black suit and Gaara's monstrous form missing a single arm. Hinata silently slid into unconsciousness as Gaara and the new entrant began to fight.

……………

Gaara screamed in agony, clutching what was his arm at one point. Naruto knew Kitsune had a diamond edge but he didn't think it would be able to slice clean through a pillar of sand. Gaara growled angrily and slowly grew back his arm from the sand that made the rest of his armor. He was able to buy himself some time, time he could use to reassess his situation. Naruto glanced behind him at Hinata, who was now unconscious from the severe thrashing of Gaara's attack. This angered Naruto to no end, to the point where he was able to block out the burning pain emanating from his sword.

Naruto charged forward, raising his katana and swinging sideways across what should have been Gaara's head. It should have been a clean swipe but Gaara caught his sword mid-swing and used it to throw Naruto in the air. Gaara pounded his gut and spewed a cloud of sand outwards, "Fūton: Mugen Sajin Daitoppa."

Naruto was hit with the brunt force of the attack. The grains of sand sliced every inch of his body, cutting most of his skin and piercing deep underneath. When the cloud of sand disappeared, Naruto watched Gaara leap up towards him ready to attack. Naruto raised his katana in defense but was unable to stop the sheer force of Gaara's next sand attack, which completely enveloped him in darkness.

"I remember you," Gaara's voice growled, "You were the bosuzoku that made a fool of my brother that day in the alley. I suppose I should thank you since you put him in his place, and you were only trying to save that girl. Unfortunately for you, I'm not in a very good mood and my arm is still soar from when you sliced it off. I'm going to kill you but the least I can do for you is make it quick and painless."

A squeezing force began to press on Naruto from all sides, pushing the air out of lungs and sand down his throat. Naruto wanted to choke, and he could feel his throat trying to cough up the sand but to no avail. Cracks and pops filled his ears, along with pain searing through his body. His head began to pound and he could feel whole sections of his body beginning to contort in ways he knew they shouldn't have. The moment was nothing short of hell for Naruto. In that instant, he heard a dark voice call out to him, **"Uzumaki Naruto! Once again we meet with you at death's door. Heh heh, once again I suppose I should lend you more of my power so we can both stay alive."**

Naruto recognized the voice as that of the Nine-Tailed Fox, mocking him yet again for having died. Naruto wasn't in the mood for such belittlement but knew he was in no position to complain. The last time he met the fox, it was because Gan had almost killed him in the Council Election. Now he was about to die by Gaara's hand.

Slowly, the dim void of the sewer came into view, as did the giant barred gate holding the Demon Fox behind it. It leered at him from behind and he mockingly laughed, **"So, I will lend you my power once again, but this time at a cost!"**

"A cost? What do you mean a cost? You said if I died, you would die!" Naruto spat back at the fox, who mocked him evilly, **"Yes but, to be fair, whether or not I die is irrelevant. Unlike you, if I die I can come resurrect myself. You, on the other hand, will remain dead and will be powerless to save your precious friends. So, as I said, this time it will come at a cost."**

Naruto gritted his teeth in disbelief. Whether or not the fox was bluffing about his ability to resurrect himself, there was no denying that Hinata, Sakura, and Sasuke would be unable to defend themselves against Gaara. Naruto sighed and dejectedly asked, "What do you want?"

"**Control," **Kitsune snarled, **"Every time you need my power to save yourself, I want total control of your body for that time."**

"No way!" Naruto barked back at the demon, "I'd rather die than let you run around out of control!"

"**I believe you have no say in this matter," **The demon's smile grew wider, **"If you don't wish to lose your precious friends!"**

Naruto tightened his fists, annoyed at how often the fox brought that single point up. He was on the wrong end of the bargaining table, with absolutely nothing to leverage over the demon except his own death, which was not something Naruto wanted to bring to the table. He massaged his forehead, trying to calculate something he could do but knew there was nothing he could. He groaned, "What do I have to do?"

"**Absolutely nothing," **Kitsune cackled. There was a flash of light and Naruto felt himself whisked away. He felt light and at ease with his surroundings, gently cradling him to sleep.

……………

Hinata came to her senses, struggling to pick herself up and lean her weight against a large tree beside her. She groaned, and looked around for some sign of her rescuer or Gaara. She scanned her surroundings briefly and spotted Gaara not too far above her, focusing his attention on a cocoon of sand that grew smaller by the second. Gaara appeared satisfied as drops of blood began to seep out of the cocoon before it began to glow a violent red.

Hinata wasn't sure if it was part of Gaara's technique but concluded it wasn't based on the surprised look on his face. The sand cocoon turned to glass and exploded into a dazzling display of light and fire. There, Hinata caught her first glimpse of the cocoon's contents: Naruto. Or it should have been, except she felt a cold chill from his presence instead of fluttering warmth. This Naruto had a darker aura and she could see the red chakra manifesting around him without her byakugan. In addition, his eyes glowed a fiery blood red. He jeered at Gaara wildly and leapt forward with his sword in hand, **"Come and get me!"**

"Okay!" Gaara bellowed and spewed out a cloud of sand that Naruto plowed through effortlessly. Panicked, Gaara raised his arm in defense, only to have it cut off by Naruto with little effort. Gaara howled and retreated away from Naruto, only for him to chase after with ease and deal a powerful slash that turned the front of Gaara's armor to glass. The glass shattered off his armor, revealing the wounded flesh beneath. The sand tried to cover the open gap in the armor but was not able to stop Naruto from plunging his katana in. Gaara let out another howl and pushed himself away from Naruto's sword.

He attended to his open wound, muttering aimlessly, "No…I haven't…not…I…mother…"

Gaara's sand fell away from his body and slid into unconsciousness, collapsing on the ground without so much as a whimper. Naruto cackled victoriously, striking his fist in the air and declaring, **"It is so good to be free again!"**

"Naruto," Hinata called out to him weakly, wishing he hadn't because of the immense pain welling up inside of her. She tried to relax her breathing, but even that task was too laborious for her due to the agony. Gaara had been successful if he was trying to torture her.

She clutched her chest tightly as Naruto walked towards her, a menacing grin on his face. For a moment, Hinata was truly terrified beyond all belief and tried to inch away from him. But fighting the pain was too much and she silently resigned herself to whatever this fake Naruto would do. She didn't care if this person looked like Naruto, it was not the Naruto she had come to know and fall in love with again.

When Naruto was no more than a few feet away, something grabbed him by the leg and pulled him away. It was a giant claw made of sand that wrapped itself around Naruto's legs and dragged him away in Gaara's direction. Or what was Gaara, as a giant sand Raccoon Dog now stood where Gaara was just moments ago. Sitting atop its head was the torso of Gaara's body, lying limp and motionless as the Tanuki raised Naruto to its eye level, **"I'M FREE! Hmmm…is that…is it really?"**

"**Yes it's me!" **Naruto replied, easily breaking the tanuki's grip. Hinata was unsure what the two were talking about, but took the opportunity to move out of harm's way and check on her two teammates. Both to her relief and worry, they were still pinned against a tree by a giant pillar of sand. She fought the pain in her body with each step she took, slowly making her way to Sasuke and Sakura.

Behind her, she could hear Naruto and the giant Tanuki's heated battle, which shook the ground violently with each move they made. When she was finally reached her two teammates, she took out her kunai and started to jab at the sand relentlessly in the hope of cutting them free. Her efforts were futile though, as the sand proved to hard for her to cut through. She sank back and whimpered at the thought not being able to anything.

KATHOOM!

A loud, earth-shattering crash behind caught her attention. Several trees had been blown down in the direction of a smoldering crater, all of which was overlooked by the giant Tanuki who howled victoriously, **"Ha-ha! Even the mighty Demon Falls Before Me!"**

Hinata looked in the direction of the trailer and feared the Tanuki was referring to Naruto. Using what little energy she had, she activated her byakugan and searched the crater for signs of the blonde. To her dismay, she found him lying semiconscious below several hundred lbs of tree, stone, and dirt. The only movement she could make out was the gradual rise and fall of his chest with each breath he took.

And then a twitch. Naruto's hand was moving, shoveling dirt out of the way. There was also chakra. The same red chakra from before but this time it was taking the form of a fox. From this distance, Hinata could feel the cold chill of the red chakra. It felt as if something or someone had siphoned off all happiness out of her being.

When he finally emerged from the rubble, Hinata caught her first glimpse of what Naruto had become. He was on all fours, an animalistic terror on his face. His eyes were red slits, resembling an animal ready to pounce it prey and the grin on his face reminded her all too well of the cunning smirk of the shinobi known as Orochimaru. Of greater interest to her was the way the red chakra took the form of a fox and, in the brief instant, Hinata swore that Naruto resembled the Nine Tailed Fox Demon. She pondered if this is what the Tanuki meant when he referred to Naruto as the 'Mighty Demon'.

Her answer came in the form of a pulse of chakra that literally chilled her to the bone, freezing in her terror of the sheer amount of evil emanating off of it. A loud roar filled her ears, drowning out all other noise and resounding for miles around. When Naruto finished his roar, he darted towards the Tanuki and blew clean through its chest. The Tanuki recoiled backwards and tried to grab at Naruto, only to have him blown backwards with another loud roar. Hinata frowned as she surveyed the fight before her, realizing a single despairing fact: That creature fighting in the form of Naruto was the dreaded Kyubi no Kitsune, the Nine-Tailed Fox.

**Author's Notes: **Yawn, another chapter over and done with. NIU is finally on winter break and I intend to tak full advantage of it. My next update will be in six weeks on Friday, January 29th. If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on the Facebook or Playstation Network (PSN ID leo11235). Don't forget to check out my Resistance Sample. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	33. Sarutobi's Last Act

**Disclaimer: **Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as a cartoon by Viz Media. The Art of War is the published text of Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicates, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties. Edited by Keri-chan. She likes Cheezits.

**Update: **Hey guys, I really apologize about the initial posting of the recent chapters for Oyabun and Takato' Light. For reasons beyond my control, refused to accept anything that wasn't in the "html" format. Sadly, this meant a lot of the original content was deleted after the initial posting. I'm not entirely sure what happened but thankfully the issue appears resolved. Thanks for your patience and I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

**Author's Notes: **Yo, what's up everyone? Needless to say it has been a long six weeks and my brain is fried from how much I have to do. To be honest with all of you: I threw this chapter together over the course of the last two days. If it weren't for how much of this I have already preplanned, I'm not sure if I would have been able to get this done in time. For that, I apologize. Thankfully, my good friend Keri-Chan was able to beta this for me in time which means there should be dramatically less grammar and spelling errors in this chapter. I will be posting a reflection on my profile in the next few days so please enjoy it when I post it. And now on to review responses:

**Glennis: **I will admit I agree with you on that one. However, I promised over a year ago to make this a Naru/HIna fic (after it won by majority vote). One year on, and I've made little progress in that direction. I apologize but a lot of that Naru Hina was done as part of keeping up on that promise. You will find less of it here, I hope. Please read and enjoy.

**Shinsou Tengen Wabisuke: **Finally! Someone who gets that this will never be an overpowered Naruto fic! Naruto's abilities may rival some chunin at one point, but he won't go around slaughtering whole armies for standing in his way. I'm glad to find someone who gets that!

**T3KO: **Anytime! If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

**Dark Ravie: **The holidays were very good indeed. Take care as well and please continue to read and enjoy.

**UnderWearNinja: **If you want a general idea of where this story is going, familiarize yourself with either the Godfather, The Sicilian, or Confessions of a Yakuza. They're all really good books I would highly recommend to anyone who finds this fic interesting. Please continue to read and enjoy.

**Shadow-Sensei: **Yes we did! Huzzah! Hoorah? However, you spell it. Anyone, I'm glad you liked it and hope you like this chapter as well?

**Arjuna1356: **Although I am ashamed to admit, this story is on its last leg. Not because I'm losing interest, but because I am literally on the last part of the story. I imagine it will be done in the next five or six chapters.

**All Nightmare Long: **As unprofessional as it may seem, NARUHINA IS SO FUCKING AWESOME! I don't deny, I love it to death. That aside, please continue to read and enjoy.

And now, I present to you the continuation of Oyabun:3

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 33: Sarutobi's Last Act**

The academy's entire student body and faculty filed quietly up the route leading to the top of the Hokage Monument. As they fled higher up, pillars of smoke could be seen rising higher and higher up into the sky. Moegi was the first to comment, sliding alongside Konohamaru and whispering, "Something's going on, Konohamaru."

"You don't think we're under attack, are we?" Udon asked.

"No way!" Konohamaru defended, "There's no way anyone could break through this village! Not while the old man is arou—"

Konohamaru was cut off by the appearance of a large three headed snake that began tearing through the village streets. The entire line stopped to watch as the monstrous summon rampaged unopposed through their home and flattened everything in its path. Its rampage went unchallenged until a large toad appeared and flattened one of the snake's heads, "Kuchiyose: Bring Down The House Jutsu!"

The snake hissed defiantly to no effect; the toad was too heavy for the snake to move and put a grinding halt to its attack. The chunin instructors and Genin escorts were already rallying the students and urged them to continue moving up the trail to the Hokage Monument. They climbed higher and higher to the mountain top until they finally came across a dead end marked by a pile of stones that cleared the far end.

Two of the chunin approached cautiously, examining the area carefully before signaling each other. The two of them performed a set of hand signs and produced a tremor that pushed the stones aside to reveal a small metal door. The chunin pulled the door open; its weight creaking loudly as it moved. The ushered the children inside, "Quickly, we don't want to be seen!"

"Why don't we want to be seen?" One of the many children chimed curiously, which the chunin dismissed, "It's not important, just go, quickly!"

"But—"

"Go!" the chunin sneered, scaring the children into hastily entering the cavern within. It was a narrow and dimly lit bunker. Dust fell from the ceiling and the corridors shook violently as they delved deeper into the complex. A loud boom echoed above and sent everyone to the ground. One of their chunin instructors calmly assured them, "Don't worry guys. These bunkers were built with safety in mind. Trust me, there's nothing to worry about."

"Then why are we here in the first place?" Moegi inquired of the chunin. The instructor smiled and patted her on the head. With a condescending tone, he explained, "For your own protection. You see: some bad men have come to destroy our village so all the teachers are bringing the students and the villagers down here while our ninja fight them off."

"You don't have to treat us like we're babies," Moegi grumbled, "we know what an invasion is."

"Coming through!" a voice from behind cried. Konohamaru and his friends turned to see a medical shinobi and another chunin rushing through the crowd of students. They parted as the chunin and medic ran by, everyone wide-eyed in shock. On the back of a chunin was another ninja with two bloody stumps where his left arm and leg would have been. The medic had both the limbs in his arms and frantically shouted, "If we can get him to the nearest medical bay, we might be able to save his limbs! Quickly! BP and heart rate are dropping! Chakra levels are low and… make a left here!"

The trio disappeared down another corridor, their voices fading with them. All of the academy students were stupefied by the bloodied shinobi who rushed past. Was this the sort of life that awaited them as ninja?

……………

A cold chill fell across the entire village, stopping everyone in their tracks. All eyes turned to a towering sand monstrosity outside the village as it swatted aimlessly at a dark red blur. The only noise that could be heard anywhere were the monster's loud roars as it fought its opponent. As the whole village watched in silent awe, a snake eyed man with a twisted voice remarked from atop the tournament stadium, "Well, that's a little wide off the mark. I gave specific instructions for the Nine Tails and the One Tails to be within the village at the start of the invasion – not an hour later and several miles away."

"Orochimaru! What is the meaning of this?" The elder Hokage demanded of his former disciple. The snake ninja could only chuckle, "Hmmhmmhmm…poor, decrepit, Sarutobi-sensei. I'll be honest, destroying your precious village was only half of my plan."

"What do you mean half?"

"You can see the vessels for the Tanuki and Fox demons fighting in the distance, can't you? The other part of my plan was to have these two fight each other in the middle of the village to ensure the total destruction of Konoha and so these two would weaken each other. In their injured state, they would be powerless to stop me from capturing them both and using them to my own purposes."

"What purposes, Orochimaru – you've already forsaken your humanity in the pursuit of immortality! Shouldn't that be enough," the aged man demanded, watching the carnage unfold as the two titans tore each other to pieces. Orochimaru mused at the battle and laughed, "Poor, naïve old Sarutobi-sensei. Yes, I have achieved a state akin to immortality by transferring my soul from one body to another. But what good would that do if I were killed before I could transfer my soul? Don't you think possessing two of the nine beasts would create the perfect leverage?"

"You demon!" Sarutobi hissed at his disciple. Orochimaru could only smile graciously, "Useless words, Sarutobi-sensei. Maybe you'd like to share them with some old friends?"

Orochimaru performed a set of hand-signs and opened a small portal on the roof, from which three boxes rose. Each box was marked by a different kanji: One, Two, and Four respectively. Sarutobi gasped when he realized what Orochimaru intentions and quickly began the hand signs to the jutsu meant to counter the summoning. By this time, it was too late to stop the first two, whose contents were revealed to be the late First and Second Hokage.

"Oh, it's you Saru," the first said blankly.

"How long has it been? You've grown so old," the second commented.

"No," Sarutobi roared, "I will not let you summon the Fourth!"

He finished the last set of hand signs and sent the third box sliding back down into the portal. Orochimaru sneered, "Oh well, I don't need the fourth one anyway."

"So, it's you," the first turned to Orochimaru, "To think, you would go so far as to disturb the dead. Saru, please forgive us for whatever he makes us do."

"Enough small talk," Orochimaru said, slithering his way towards the two Kage and inserting two tags at the base of their skulls, "It's time to start things!"

…………

"GO AWAY!" Shukaku growled angrily to no avail. For a lack of better words, the Kyubi literally tore him to pieces with each attack he made at the lesser demon's body. The unending assault tore off larger chunks from his body faster than they could be regrown. In desperation, the monster tried to flee from his attacker – only to find the Kyubi shoot right through his head and holding the limp Gaara in its arms. The Shukaku howled in defeat, "No! HOW COULD I LOSE! WAAH!"

Hinata marveled as the giant Tanuki dissipated into a mountain of sand whilst Gaara and Naruto/Kyubi crashed somewhere deep in the forest. She struggled to her feet, leaning heavily against the tree to keep herself from losing balance and noting how dangerous it was to stand atop such a high branch in her condition. Instead of running for the impact site, she limped back towards her two teammates. The sand that had pinned them to the wall was seeping away in the direction of Gaara and Naruto. Sasuke and Sakura had already slid down, both seemingly unconscious and hanging dangerously over the edge of the tree branch.

Sakura started to slide off the branch and Hinata reacted by throwing a kunai to pin her clothes against the bark. She limped forward faster, hoping to catch up to her friends before they fell to their deaths. Once they were in arms reach, she pulled Sakura upwards and repositioned her safely. She tread over to Sakura carefully and began to reposition Sasuke so he wouldn't fall off either. Her gentle motions were enough to stir the young Uchiha.

His eyes opened slowly and scanned his surroundings carefully before resting on Hinata. His eyes filled relief at the sight of her. Suddenly, Sasuke jolted up and drew a kunai, "Hinata… what happened? Where's Gaara?"

"Don't worry," Hinata tried to ease him, gritting her teeth as her body ached with each word she spoke, "He's gone."

"You're hurt," he stated bluntly, leaning in carefully to inspect her wounds, "He did this to you, didn't he?"

"He?"

"Gaara," he growled. Hinata shook her head and frowned, "No, it's alright. Naruto's deal—"

"Naruto!?" Sasuke cut her off with an urgent tone, "We have to hurry, he doesn't stand—Aarrgh!"

Sasuke curled into a ball and grabbed at his chest, groaning in horrific pain. Hinata inched closer to him and tried to inspect his injury, only to have her hand slapped away by a resistant Sasuke, "I'm fine! Which way did they go!?"

"Th-that way," Hinata pointed behind them. He scrambled back to his feet, unaware that strange black markings began to carve themselves onto his face. Hinata tried to point it out but was too unnerved by the expression on his face. Sasuke marched away in pursuit of Gaara and Naruto, briefly saying, "Wait here, I'll go check on him!"

Hinata didn't know if 'he' meant Naruto or Gaara but feared the worst would happen. Before she could act, her body gave way to the pain and she sank back down to her knees. All she could was wait and see.

…………

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Sarutobi roared, "Monkey King Enma, come forth!"

A large monkey adorned in the traditional armor of the ninja warrior answered the old Hokage's call and extended his arms to catch the two other Hokage. The two kages avoided Enma's arms and retreated momentarily. This gave Sarutobi ample time to catch his breath and reform a new plan. Although he loathed to admit it, he was neither as young nor as strong as he was in his prime. This battle pushed him well beyond the normal limits of any human being, especially given his age. This battle could not go on any longer before Sarutobi's body gave in to the frailties of the flesh.

Just as the two Kage were about to begin their next attack, a thunderous explosion erupted in the distance. Everyone froze and turned their sites towards the two battling demons. The fox vessel was nowhere in site, but the sand vessel (specifically the sand Tanuki) could be seen dissolving into sand in the wind. Its already grotesque features sank into obscurity before it dissipated into a large mountain of sand.

Orochimaru delighted at the sight of the battle and said, "Oh my, it seems the two have finished each other off. Oh well, I'll just collect them once we're all done here."

"I will not allow that to happen," the Third growled angrily. He produced two shadow clones of himself and set them after the First and Second Hokages. Sarutobi knew the next part of the plan would require precision and perfect timing if it was to be executed without fail. It would use the last of his remaining chakra, but the cost was well worth the outcome if it meant the people he could save the village and all the lives within. He cast a glance in Enma's direction, hoping his old partner would catch his intentions.

The monkey frowned cluelessly at first, but soon gaped in horror at the realization of Sarutobi's intentions. He quickly overlooked it and sped past the former Hokages – right at Orochimaru. Orochimaru recoiled at the surprise attack and released a flurry of shuriken at Enma.

Enma punched through the barrage and ran straight at Orochimaru. Enma wrapped his hands around Orochimaru's neck and began to strangle the snake nin. Orochimaru hacked and croaked, his mouth gaping wide open to gasp for whatever air he could. He stopped moving and, for a moment, seemed dead. Orochimaru's body hung limp and motionless, making no other sound except the occasional crack when Enma broke one of the bones in his neck. Sarutobi quickly concluded this Orochimaru was clone because neither the First nor Second Hokage had been dispelled.

As expected, Orochimaru's features quickly melted away into a foul mud that dripped through Enma's hand. Enma grunted disapproval and smashed the mud angrily with his fist. He scanned the area in search of his target, whilst Sarutobi focused his remaining chakra into his jutsu. A sharp stabbing pain jolted him forward. Surprised by the turn of events, Sarutobi stumbled forward but maintained focus on concentrating his chakra to perform his technique.

Sarutobi looked behind him to see Orochimaru standing there with a long katana extending from his neck. He grimaced at the pain on Sarutobi's face and pressed the sword deeper into his back. Sarutobi lurched forward and grunted, catching Enma's attention. Enma quickly raced to his summoner's aid, reaching out to pin Orochimaru where he stood.

Upon seeing the charging monkey, Orochimaru quickly tried to pull his sword free of his former sense's body. All his effort amounted to nothing as Sarutobi simply wrapped his hands around the katana. Orochimaru cursed the old man and released his sword just as Enma wrapped both of his arms around Orochimaru. Orochimaru grunted and tried to release himself from the monkey's grip, but was unable to bring his hands together for any jutsu.

"I've got him Sarutobi! Do it now!" Enma roared. Sarutobi released the katana and pulled it out from his body. He threw it aside and performed the last hand seal for his technique, "SHIKI FUJIN! Reaper Death Seal!"

Orochimaru screamed fearfully as the ghostly apparition of a shinigami in a flowing white robe appeared. Sarutobi turned to face his former pupil and wrapped his hands on Orochimaru's shoulders, "Behold disciple! The Reaper, God of Death, himself! With his power, both of our souls will be trapped permanently in his stomach!"

"Senile Old MAN!" Orochimaru cursed, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

"Ending this the way I should have many years ago!" Sarutobi answered.

…………

"**I am returning your body, Uzumaki Naruto!**" Kitsune's voice echoed in his thoughts. The world slowly came into view, along with a pounding headache and a very sore body. He heard a disgruntled groan but was unable to tell if it was his own or someone else's. Naruto rolled to his side, in the direction of groan and came to conclude it was not his own moan of pain. Beside him lay the injured Gaara who returned his gaze with a blank, lifeless stare. As Naruto's eyes slid in and out of focus, he heard Gaara's strained voice ask, "Who…who are you? What makes you so powerful?"

"My name…is Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto murmured quietly, "Head of…the Kitsune Clan and…student of Momiji Hashi."

Naruto paused for a second, unaware of how so few words could rob him of so much strength. Naruto took a second to catch his breath whilst Gaara's eyes slowly examined Naruto, "How… how can a Yakuza be so strong?"

"Strong?" Naruto repeated with a chuckled, "I'm not strong. I just… wanted to… protect—"

"To protect the girl?" Gaara finished for him, "Is that why you fought so relentlessly?"

"It wasn't… on my own," Naruto explained, pausing again to catch his breath and let the pain subside, "I had… some help."

"Help?" Gaara repeated with a confused tone, "You mean the girl…"

Naruto didn't answer, unable to find the strength to explain. Gaara apparently came to his own conclusion and nodded, "She gives you strength… you… love her?"

Once again, Naruto was unable to answer but this time because of how shocking Gaara's conclusion was to him. Why did so many people come to that conclusion about the two of them? Yes, they were friends and Naruto would protect her the same way he would protect Haku or Iruka. That didn't necessarily mean he loved her! Before Naruto could protest the conclusion, he saw two Suna Nin appear at Gaara's side and leaned down to check on him, "Gaara, are you okay?"

Gaara ignored them and continued to probe Naruto with questions, "Is that why you're so strong?"

"I just," Naruto stopped to catch his breath, gritting his teeth in protest of the pain in his chest, "Wanted to protect… my friends…"

"I see," Gaara replied unresponsively. The two Suna Nin exchanged confused looks. They both lifted Gaara up, supporting him by his arms. Before they departed, the woman remarked, "Hey you! I don't know what you did to Gaara, but you better hope we don't meet again."

"Temari, leave it," Gaara said dismissively, before they disappeared into the forest and left Naruto for dead. Naruto couldn't help but laugh at the situation, and quickly untied his scabbard. Leaving the katana inside, Naruto used it as a support to lift himself off the ground so he could get a better view of his surroundings.

"Okay, trees," Naruto grunted, "That's a… good start."

Naruto looked skyward, hoping something to point him in the right direction. He could always use the sun, but he didn't pay attention to any of the lectures regarding navigation in unknown locations. He had no compass, no heading, no clue what time of day it was, and was certain he was far from anything even remotely close to civilization. There was no telling what had happened while the Fox was in control. As far as he knew, he wasn't even in the same country. Still, it stood to reason that if the Suna Nin went in one direction, then he would probably want to go the opposite direction. Naruto cracked a tired yawn and felt his heavy body sinking down. He would worry about getting back to the village another time. First, he needed to catch up on his sleep.

"Naruto!" Sasuke's voice shouted.

Naruto pouted upon hearing the familiar voice, annoyed of being robbed of an opportunity to sleep. He craned his head to the side and caught a glimpse of an injured Sasuke limping towards him. Naruto wasn't sure if he was happy to see Sasuke in this condition or otherwise. In a way, he was annoyed Sasuke was the person who was coming to get him when he didn't even like Sasuke. Sasuke knelt beside him and asked, "Naruto? Where's Gaara?"

"Gone," Naruto said, his lungs still protesting against him speaking, "Suna Nin… took him…"

Sasuke's expression was caught between envy and surprise, while he cluelessly mouthed, "You… beat him?"

"Ye-Yeah," Naruto stuttered, leaning heavily on Kitsune to keep himself from falling over. Sasuke's expression softened at the sentiment and he quickly extended his hand out, "Here, let me help you."

Naruto was surprised to see such a helping gesture from Sasuke, especially since he was the one Sasuke was helping. Naruto's gaze was stuck on Sasuke's hand for a while, treating it as if it were a tainted object. After a brief silence, he relented and accepted it, "Thanks."

Sasuke pulled him and slung his arm across his back, "You're welcome. Come on, Hinata is waiting for us."

Sasuke, bearing Naruto's weight on his shoulders, limped back towards the two Kunoichi.

…………

"What are you doing Sarutobi? Hurry up and finish this!" Enma growled.

"I'm trying," Sarutobi pleaded, gritting his teeth to fight back the incredible pain surging through his body, "I don't have enough chakra to take his whole soul!"

"Do something! I can't hold him forever!" Enma stated angrily. Sarutobi nodded and forced the last of his chakra into his next action. He roared loudly as a surge of pain shot through his entire body. Orochimaru screeched, "What are you doing you cursed old man!?"

"I'm taking away all of your beloved jutsu from you, disciple!" Sarutobi explained with a cunning grin upon his face, "Your life's work robbed from you by this foolish old man! Enma, there's something I have to ask of you."

"What is it?" Enma asked, his grip on Orochimaru beginning to loosen. Sarutobi could feel a strange energy passing out of Orochimaru and through him. Knowing his time was short, he replied, "Take Orochimaru's sword, the Kusanagi! Bestow it on…Uzu…"

"I understand," Enma grunted, tightening his grip on Orochimaru. Orochimaru bore his teeth and snarled, "Wicked old man! Stop this now! I refuse to let this happen!"

"Enough Orochimaru!" Sarutobi grunted weakly, "Perhaps my last act will teach you the only lesson I was never able to teach you! Lose your beloved jutsu, turn away from this path you've walked, and become greater than you could have possible imagined!"

"STOP IT!" Orochimaru pleaded weakly. A blue aura in the shape of arms protruded from Orochimaru's chest, becoming severed by the Reaper's bony-knife. Orochimaru howled in pain whilst the aura traveled through the old Hokage's body, sapping him of any strength left in his being. With his last breath, he murmured, "I pray you learn the true meaning of the 'Will of Fire'. Farewell, my disciple…"

The world began to dim around Sarutobi, chilling him to the bone. As the last light disappeared from his view, a vision of a young Orochimaru appeared before him. The young Orochimaru smiled and whispered something inaudible before disappearing into the shadows. Everything ended.

…………

Naruto and Sasuke appeared through the bushes, with Sasuke supporting Naruto as they walked down the street. Naruto used his free hand to prop himself up with his katana which he leaned most of his weight on despite Sasuke's help.

As they approached Hinata and the still unconscious Sakura, Naruto's weight became too heavy for Sasuke and the duo collapsed. Hinata rushed forward and caught Naruto first, leaving Sasuke to catch himself. Neither Naruto nor Hinata seemed to notice Sasuke frown at Hinata's actions. Hinata turned Naruto over to get a better look of his face; beaten and tired, Naruto looked up in a daze at Hinata, "Thanks…"

"Naruto, are you alright?" she asked, her shaking voice betraying the hesitation and fear in her. Naruto didn't reply, closing his eyes and growing limp in her hands. Hinata's eyes widened and her lower lip trembled fearfully, until Sasuke reassuringly noted, "He's just passed out. I don't know what happened, I think he wore himself out fighting Gaara."

"Wore… himself out," she repeated quietly. She nodded in agreement and lifted him up on her back, "We should get him back to the village quickly."

"Okay, I'll get Sakura," Sasuke added. He took up the unconscious Sakura in her arms and, together, the two retreated back to the village. Their trek was slow and painstaking, given both of them were in excruciating pain and were bearing the weight of two of their unconscious friends on their backs. They walked for half an hour in silence, stopping only when they heard the sound of rolling thunder and the earth shaking beneath their feet. The two genin realized something big was moving in their direction and quickly took cover in a large bush located nearby.

The noise steadily grew louder and earth shook more violently. Hinata activated byakugan and followed the noise back to its source: She saw several Suna Nin moving in their direction carrying wounded and dead amongst them. As they came closer, their words became clearer.

"Okay, the rally point should be 300 more meters. Have the medics treat the wounded first!"

"Alright, has anyone been able to get in contact with second platoon?"

"Negative, communication went down as soon as they began their counter-attack. We have to assume that they're KIA."

"Like hell! I'm going back to see if I can find survivors. You two with me!"

"Yes sir!"

"What about Oto?"

"What about them? The cowards disappeared as soon as Orochimaru took off."

"But we have some of their wounded."

"Treat them as POWs. I want to know what they know as soon as they're up."

"Sir, we've received a message from Gaara's team. He's alive but he's injured."

"Damn that Uchiha…"

"It wasn't Uchiha sir. Gaara's team confirms it was a Yakuza who did injured him."

"A Yakuza? Do they have him in custody?"

"No sir, the team said the Yakuza was mortally injured and they left him for dead."

"Well send a team to make sure he's dead! And find out which clan he was in!"

"Sir, is that a good idea? If they're a part of the—"

"Shut up! Goddamn gangsters aren't worth more than the dirt we're running on!"

The suna nin rushed past the two genin, while three other Suna shinobi rushed back in the direction of Konoha. Hinata kept her byakugan active to make sure no other Suna Nin were approaching and signaled the all clear to Sasuke. Sasuke nodded in confirmation and the two resumed their trek back to the village. The village slowly drew into view over the tree tops, the sight of the village wall and a gaping hole through it. When they finally reached the village gates, it was to the sight of a ruined Konoha.

Columns of smoke rose into the air, illuminated by the embers of flickering flames. A massive dead snake lay in the middle of the destruction, beneath an even larger toad who sat atop the snake victoriously. Scattered across the village were formations of shinobi rounding up prisoners and treating wounded. There was a large gathering atop the Exam Stadium where the kage were seated. Those trying to get near were escorted away.

A thought of fear dwelled in Hinata's mind, haunting her about the worst to come. Unbeknownst to her or Sasuke, they were being silently followed by two men in black cloaks emblazoned with red clouds. They entered the village with little trouble, maintaining a safe distance behind the two without losing sight of either. Silently, one of them muttered, "Should we take him now?"

…………

**Author's Notes: **Yawn, another chapter over and done with. Because of my commitment to my education, I will be taking the next few weeks off to catch up on my studies. My next update will be in eight weeks on Friday, March 26th. If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on the Facebook or the Playstation Network (PSN ID: leo11235). Don't forget to check out my Resistance Sample and please feel free to browse the Yakuza profiles below. These profiles contain brief portions of intelligence on the minor gangsters who show up now and again. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!

…………

**Kuroihi Syndicate – Member Profiles**

**Momiji Hashi: **Head of the Sakurazaki Clan and Wakagashira of the Kuroihi Syndicate. He is one of Boss Kuroihi's oldest friends, although their history remains curious. He is the father of Sakurazaki Hana, a single parent because of his wife's death under unexplained circumstances. He has a yet to be explained attachment to Naruto, relating in some way to Hana and his late wife. Hashi is very protective over everyone in his clan, both family and subordinates. Because of this, he has garnered a lot of loyalty and respect from everyone who knows him; including his enemies who begrudgingly admit that Hashi would have been a good friend were they not on opposite sides of the conflict. Why did Hashi think he saw a ghost when he saw Naruto?

**Sora "Vendetta" Keitaro: **Head of the Sora Clan, Wakagashira of the Sakurazaki Clan and Fuku-honbucho of the Kuroihi Syndicate. He is romantically involved with his boss's daughter, a relationship everyone knows about except Hashi. He is of foreign descent, although who he was before he came into Hashi's care has yet to be revealed. His past persistently haunts him and causes him to go into small episodes of shock, which he is only able to keep in check because of his smoking and because of his beloved Hana. Notably, whatever haunts him is distinctly related to Hashi, Hana and Hashi's late family.

**Momiji Sakurazaki Hana: **Daughter of the head of the Sakurazaki Clan and primary caretaker of the Sakurazaki Clan in her father's presence. Were it not for her extraordinary cooking ability, she would have starved long ago due to Hashi's poor cooking skills. Her over protective father often keeps her from leaving the compound so she takes every opportunity she can to leave and have fun. It should be noted that when her father is not able to reprimand her, her obnoxiously playful side comes out. She habitually nicknames the clansmen and plays tricks on them including: running off, switching paychecks and laundry, inciting bar fights and all things related. Naturally, only Keitaro and Hashi are able to keep her in check.

**Kuroihi Ryouke: **Chairman of the Kuroihi Syndicate and head of the Kuroihi-Sempai Clan, he is considered to be the most powerful man who isn't a feudal lord or a kage because of his great political influence and financial savings. Despite his age, he is still one of the most feared men in the world for reasons yet to be explained, even if he is something of a goof. His only true regret in life is not being able to get his son to act like a son.

**Kuroihi Yamato: **Komon of the Kuroihi Syndicate and head of the Kuroihi-Kohai Clan, he is the heir apparent to the Kuroihi Syndicate, a position he doesn't want. He is the literal meaning of 'a lover, not a fighter'. He hates violence or anything to do with crime and would prefer to lead a normal life outside the clan. He is unnecessarily formal and courteous because of the pressure of being the heir to the Kuroihi and his father's ever-watchful eye. He often never exercises his powers as the Kuroihi heir and has an odd tendency to romance every woman he meets (unintentionally or otherwise).

**Dewaya Yahiko: **Shateigashira of the Sakurazaki Clan and Oyabun of the Dewaya Clan. He had a long time friendly rivalry with Keitaro that finally peaked when Keitaro was made Hashi's Personal Assistant. This annoyed Yahiko to the point of desperation, and he consequently betrayed both the Sakurazaki and the Kuroihi to the Enkou and Otogakure. The guilt was never able to leave him and he desperately covered his tracks to avoid any connection back to him. Prior to his passing, he confessed his feelings to his secretary who shared the same sentiments and they consummated those feelings.

**Yagami Shinji: **Current Saiko-komon of the Kitsune Clan and former assistant to the Saiko-Komon of the Dewaya Clan. Becoming Saiko-komon has been Shinji's coveted goal for the longest time, one he can proudly say he's now achieved. He maintained a good friendship with Yahiko and Miji until recent events resulted in one's death and the other's depression. Shinji has tried to maintain his relationship with Miji since but Naruto's presence as head of the clan is clearly straining that to its limits.

**Utawa Miji: **Friend of Shinji and member of the Kitsune Syndicate. He has held a strong grudge against Naruto ever since the death of his uncle, Utawa Oboro. Miji's outrage resulted in his lashing out on Naruto, costing him two fingers and the duty of protecting his uncle's grandson: Hakuoro. While there is no telling how these stresses will affect his future friendships, it is safe to say that he holds no loyalty towards Naruto.

**Doragon "Han" Gan: **The former Wakagashira and current So-Honbucho of the Kitsune Clan. Gan manages his own organization outside the Kitsune which functions as a private military contractor. Despite that, he will never willingly betray his Oyabun. Because of his age, he has adopted the use of a puppet of younger self – one which he skillfully uses. Although he has never given a straight answer, many believe he was a master of Kugutsu no Jutsu (The Puppet Fighting Style) prior to joining the Kuroihi. Because of how exasperatingly long his real name is, many have resorted to using only the first syllable. However, no one is sure how to pronounce it with some believing it to be Gan, while other conclude it is Han, Xan, San, Tan, Kan or Pan. He prefers to be called either Han or Gan but many clansmen still debate his real name. There is even a lottery to see who can correctly pronounce his full name.


	34. A Day of Mourning

**Disclaimer: **Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as a cartoon by Viz Media. The Art of War is the published text of Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicates, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone! It's been a long eight week wait but I return with some long awaited presents. Or as long awaited as things can get given the fiasco with the previous chapter. I'll skip to the point and get to point: I am well aware of the issue with the previous update which caused all the punctuation marks to disappear. I looked into the issue and offered a temporary fix in the form of an email-able pdf file which I personally sent out to anyone who provided me with their email address. I really do apologize for that inconvenience, especially since it took the site admins some time to resolve the issue, whatever it was. Regardless, I thank all of you for baring with me at the time. And since I took that long, eight week break I was able to work on Takato's Light and Oyabun at my leisure. This resulted in fleshed out chapters that didn't feel rushed for me. And a special thanks goes to my beta who was able to edit both in no time flat. And now on to review responses:

**HolyKnight5: **Again, I do apologize over this whole fiasco. I did everything I could but couldn't get the punctuation marks until later. My apologies, really

**Aroe77: **I was well aware of the error but was unable to do anything until it was far too late to do anything about it.

**Fluphy Ninja: **I know, I do apologize. It was entirely out of my hands because the site wasn't cooperating with me, however I did offer a temporary fix until the site was repaired.

**DarkRavie: **I am glad you liked it, especially given how horrible it was with the site being anal retentive. I really do apologize about that.

**Shotgun Willy: **As mentioned before, I was made aware of the error immediately and offered a fix. Unfortunately, the site wouldn't let me upload an appropriate version of the chapter for some time.

**Sakouya: **Because I'm a prick with all the desire to fuck with people. Nah, just kidding. Truth is, the site suffered some kind of error and I was unable to upload a proper version until it was too late. My apologies

**Glennis: **I do apologize about this whole site fiasco. As I have mentioned time again, NaruHina segments are meant to fluff that promised part of the story which was decided entirely democratically and was not just me succumbing to hate mail. To be honest, it was a close vote, broken only by the one.

**T3Ko: **One day at a time my good friend. One day at a time.

**Miss Naye: **Again, my apologies. I have no idea what was going on with the site but the issue resolved itself.

**GorunNova: **And again, I really do apologize. It was entirely beyond my control and was an error on the site's part.

**Roken95: **Hey! So I'm glad you liked it! I really do apologize so do forgive me.

**Hordac85: **I'm glad you like it! Please continue to read and enjoy.

**Shadow-Sensei: **I'm glad you like the chapters so much. I'm happy to see people enjoying my writings. If you're a big Godfather enthusiast like I am, the end of this chapter should look very familiar. ;)

**Dan: **If this is who I think it is: FUCK OFF! Seriously, this is cyber-stalking! Stop emailing me, stop sending messages on Facebook and stop trying to friend me! I don't even know who you are! I said hi once and you acted like a prick. That does not make us friends! If this is someone else, ignore that and instead admire that massive wall text which serves as a monument to how you failed to impress me and how you clearly have enough time to criticize others anonymously. Let's take a good look at all that text! Now ask yourself: should I really be applying logic to a fanfic written by a college student in his spare time? Yeah, bet you feel pretty stupid huh?

**Greywizard-Dumblemort: **I'm not entirely sure if I spelled that right so forgive me if I did. I've been meaning to get back to that sword training part, something I admit I have been lacking in but I do hope you can forgive since its been a while since I took Aikido so this is all coming from the top of my head. As for the canonity, well, I like to think I stay close to the original story without branching off in an unrelated direction. I do thank you for liking it and I will take your comments into consideration for future chapters.

And so, without further ado, I present the continuation of Oyabun.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 34: A Day of Mourning**

"Should we take him now?"

"No, not yet," his companion replied, "In his condition, there's a good chance taking him now would kill him before he could be of use."

"Are you sure this isn't because you want to sight see your former home?"

"No," a slight pause as the pair stopped in their tracks, "Despite what you might think, I no longer hold any compassion for this village or anyone in it."

"As expected of Uchiha Itachi," the other sneered, "the man who massacred his clan in one night."

Itachi didn't answer his companion's remark, reflecting silently on his actions up to this point in time. All of them were horrific events that most would write off as the greatest of all crimes: treachery. True, all of his actions up to this point could be described as treachery, but all were with an underlying intention for a greater good. One he had been working towards up until this very point in time. He would not allow the trivial pursuits of a mad man interfere with them.

……………

When Naruto stretched his eyes open, he had to block the burning sunlight that penetrated the window and fell onto his face. When his eyes came into focus, the first thing he caught sight of was a simple vase displaying a blooming daffodil that faced towards the sunlight. Beside it, in the shade, was his crimson katana _Kitsune_ resting along the wall. He craned his neck in the other direction and the dully-colored walls of a hospital infirmary staring back at him. He frowned at the realization of being in one of Konoha's hospitals but wasn't entirely sure how he got there. The last memory he recalled was of passing out in the forest after defeating Gaara. Everything after that was a hazy blur. He did recall someone helping him… was it Sasuke? Or maybe Hinata? Or perhaps he imagined it altogether.

Then another sight caught his attention. Haku was sitting in a chair by the door with his knees crossed and his arms folded across his chest. His fox mask rested along the side of his head, while Zabuza's sword lay opposite the door. Beside Haku, on the night stand, were several empty bowls of rice and what he assumed to be soy bean paste. Naruto instantly felt the groans of hunger from his stomach and tried to get off his bed in search of food.

"It's good to see you awake Naruto," Haku said to him with a small grin, "How are you feeling?"

"I've been worse," Naruto replied right off the bat. He moved to the edge of his bed and asked, "How long have I been out?"

"Two days," Haku answered, "You must be hungry, can I get you something?"

"Some ramen isn't out of the question at the moment," Naruto said, immediately hoping to get something right away. Haku nodded and slid the door open, "Oyabun would like ramen."

"Does he want anything in particular?" A disembodied voice from the other side asked.

"Beef with two eggs and some miso," Naruto said hungrily. Haku repeated the order and closed the door immediately, "I have three of the boys standing guard outside door, two more at the entrance into the hospital."

"Good," Naruto said sullenly, hoping whoever went to get his food would return quickly, "Did you bring that flower in?"

"No, I believe it was Ms. Hyuga," Haku explained. Naruto's mind instantly jumped onto the events a few days before, immediately asking, "Is she alright?"

"Yes, she's fine," Haku continued apprehensively, "She was discharged yesterday. Speaking of which, a lot has happened in the last two days while you were out."

"What do you mean?" Naruto inquired, growing tense at the thought of Haku's next few words.

"I'll try to make it as brief as I can," Haku began quietly, "The attack on Konoha was all but a success. A fifth of the village was completely destroyed in the attack, while the rest suffered plenty of damage. This includes the properties and assets under our control. According to Shinji, the costs to repair the damage are roughly equivalent to our earnings from the Chunin Exam. The financial costs aside, the attack on Konoha threw the already unstable aftermath of your plans into even further disarray. Most of the minor gangs were wiped out but three of the strongest ones are now trying to take control."

"Isn't Konoha doing anything about it?"

"What can they do? The Third Hokage's death mean-"

"Wait! What do you mean, death?!"

Haku paused, surprised to see Naruto did not know. Haku hesitated for the longest time imaginable, as if afraid to repeat himself. A lump formed in his throat which he swallowed before adding, "The Third Hokage was killed during the attack by the leader of Otogakure: Orochimaru. The announcement was officially made yesterday. A lot of people are in mourning over it, but some people are using it to their advantage. One man in particular, I believe he is called Danzo, is using it to get himself nominated as the next Hokage. Speaking of which, all of Konoha's security decisions must pass through the village council until it can decide on who to name as the next Hokage. And since they're too busy bickering over who should lead the village next, very few of them are doing anything for the village's security."

None of Haku's words registered with Naruto after he confirmed the Third's death. He was never close to the elderly Hokage beyond the occasional treat of a free ramen dinner. However, this did not offset any of the respect he held for the old man. The title of Hokage was not one to be handed out lightly, and the old man's attainment of such a title was more than enough to earn him his respect. But in Naruto's mind, Hokage were always unbeatable. He never really paid much attention during the history lessons, but he knew well enough the title of Hokage meant one was the strongest ninja the village had to offer. In short, his naïve twelve year old mind concluded the Hokage were near invincible, fallible only to the awesome might of supernatural powers such as that of the Kyubi or Death itself.

His eyebrow twitched furiously, his face getting lost somewhere between disbelief, despair, anger, and horror. The old man couldn't have been dead. He simply couldn't be. Naruto's fists trembled vigorously in response to news, as he silently contemplated how to accept it.

"Hey boss, I bought the ramen you wanted," a voice from beyond the door called. Haku accepted the food and presented it before Naruto on the bedside table. Naruto no longer found the desire to eat, having lost himself in thought over the news of the Third's death.

"I thought you were hungry," Haku commented silently.

"I lost my appetite," Naruto answered, pushing the bedside table and the fresh ramen away. Haku sensed his discontent and added, "Naruto, the medical nin said your wounds were serious and a lot has happened. I think you should get a little more rest before we continue this conversation."

"No," Naruto shook his head stubbornly, "I want this whole mess cleaned up as soon as possible. Hashi-sensei entrusted this clan to me and I don't want to let him down. You mentioned some new gangs, so what do we have on them?"

Haku frowned at Naruto's choice, repressing an urge to rebuke him for it. It was strange given Haku usually went along with the plans of his superiors, especially in the case of Zabuza. However, he decided to let it go and explained, "So far, I've only been able to gather information on two of the gangs. First are the 'Shini'. They call themselves that mostly because of the skull tattoo they use to mark their forearms. They're a rowdy bunch at best and don't present too great a threat because they're the type to act without thinking. They deal mostly in racketeering and narcotics but they aren't too smart about either, so they don't make as much as they could. The other one we know about are a group going by the name "Red Dragons". They're more or less the same as the Shini except they mark themselves by a red dragon tattoo. In short, they became the top gangs by brute force and little else."

"Can't we them take out the same way as the Enkou or Kaki?" Naruto considered quietly.

"Sadly, no," Haku frowned, "Their gangs don't have any formal heirarchy. Take out the top dog, and someone else will just claim the spot. We'd have to take out the entire gang for it to go away. And we're in no condition to make such a move without great risk for ourselves."

"Then we'll worry about it later," Naruto concluded, "What are the damages from the attack?"

"Half of the clients under our protection lost their properties so we have to reimburse them so they can rebuild," Haku explained, "As for our assets, Shinji estimates we've lost roughly fifty million ryou in all sorts of commodities ranging from the cloths supplied to Shigeru for his business to three cases of fine sake from the Land of Rice."

"Was it just commodities?" Naruto looked Haku in the square in the eye, already knowing the answer but still wanting confirmation. Haku didn't appear to catch the message and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Were there any irreplaceable losses?" Haku appeared to understand the question now and nodded, "Several. Thankfully, we were able to escort the majority of our clientele, their families, and the families of the clansmen to the safe houses. Konoha even managed to evacuate some into old fallout bunkers. Moto and Kaz are the only two people we've confirmed as dead."

"Who?"

Embarrassing as it was, Naruto had no clue who Moto and Kaz were. It was a large clan in its own right and keeping track of all its members, affiliates, and so on was entirely too much.

"You probably know Moto as the one who gave you your tattoo," Haku pointed at the mark on Naruto's neck. Naruto's memory came back to him, specifically the searing pain from the tattoo ink being engraved into his skin. He rubbed the area sorely as Haku went on, "Kaz was owner of a bar who allowed us to use the backroom as a meeting room. Neither of them had families, so Shinji is setting something aside for a funeral service for the two of them."

"What about the old man's…I mean the Hokage's? Did they say anything about a funeral?" Naruto inquired curiously. Haku nodded, "It's planned for three days from now as a memorial service to the Hokage and the other shinobi who died during the invasion."

"Okay," Naruto nodded, trying to take in everything Haku had informed him. It was all a lot to take in and the news of it wasn't exactly what he had intended for that day. He did know there would be an attack, but he at least expected Ibiki to use the information he had been given to plan a countermeasures. However, he simply didn't have such influence over Konoha's politics or policies and promptly dismissed the thought. Naruto asked his next question, "What about the Chairman and his son?"

"The Chairman and his son are alright," Haku affirmed, "For their own safety, I asked them to return to their home while we took care of the clean up. The chairman said he had faith in your judgment before he left. For now, I've mostly handled all of the decision making but I didn't want to make any major choices until you woke up."

"Thanks Haku," Naruto appreciatively smiled to his good friend, "But if it's alright with you, I'd like some time to think things over."

"Of course," Haku bowed, "I'll be right here in case you need anything."

Naruto nodded towards him and lay down in his bed. Forgetting his hunger and fatigue, Naruto drifted off to sleep.

……………

When Naruto awoke some time later, it was to the sound of a conversation between Haku and one other. A vaguely familiar voice he couldn't identify from his groggy daze.

"He was awake a little while ago."

"Did you tell him about it?"

"No, I thought it would be better not to tell him."

"I'm glad he doesn't know then."

"But he will eventually, the whole village knows."

"I know…"

"…"

"…"

"I think he liked the flower."

"He did?"

Naruto knew that voice. It was a little shy and timid but he quickly placed it as Hinata. Naruto lifted himself up off the bed and cracked a tired yawn.

"Well, what do you know?" Haku commented, "You have a guest Naruto."

"Hello," Hinata timidly greeted the young gang boss. Naruto returned the greeting with a smile, "Hey. How long have you been here?"

"I just got here," Hinata said, "It's good to see you alright."

"Thanks," Naruto answered, relieved to see Hinata was well. Curious about their discussion, he cluelessly asked, "What were you two talking about?"

Haku and Hinata exchanged worried expressions; Hinata's being the more grave of the two. Eventually, Haku was the one to talk although not with what Naruto expected, "It's probably better if you don't know."

"Why? What is it?" the smile on Naruto's face shrank back in anticipation for whatever Haku had to tell him. Haku hesitated for a moment, "It appears there was a law passed by the Third Hokage twelve years ago. A law concerning you that…many consider repealed with his death."

"What is it?" Naruto asked, anxious to hear Haku's explanation, "Naruto, have you ever felt…maybe like there's another presence?"

"Will you stop beating around the bush?" Naruto snapped in frustration, "What is it?"

"The Third Hokage's Law," Haku paused for a second, as if to gather himself for the revelation at hand, "It said no one was ever to tell you of the Nine Tailed Fox sealed inside you. No one was ever to speak of it, allowing an entire generation of villagers to grow unaware of it."

The only sound came from the clock ticking silently along the wall. Naruto's hands tightened into fists, clawing themselves into the sheets of his bed. Haku and Hinata were witness to the dark expression on Naruto's face. One was surprised to see the boy wearing so ugly an appearance, the other frightened because he knew what that expression usually foreshadowed.

"The Nine-Tailed Fox?" Naruto repeated at a whisper, "They knew?"

Hinata was too frozen in fear to reply, leaving Haku to nod, "So it would seem."

"Get out," Naruto muttered. When Haku and Hinata didn't react to his words, he growled, "OUT!"

Haku bowed to Naruto before departing the room. Hinata followed Haku out the door, stopping for a moment to behold the blonde boy who lost himself to his anger. She tried to talk to Naruto but was unable to find the words she wanted to say or the ability to speak. At a lost for what to say, Hinata slowly closed the door behind her and waited outside with Haku.

As soon as they were out the door, Naruto smashed his fist against the bed side table. He repeated a single phrase to himself repeatedly, "They knew…they knew…"

In this moment of indescribable shock, a plan began to formulate in Naruto's mind even if he wasn't entirely aware of it. The ideas all came in a mad rush, fueled by Naruto's growing contempt for the village. They all knew he was housing the Demon Fox inside of him and he only found out because it had to save its own life? If they knew all this time, did that explain why they made his life so miserable up to this point? There was the possibility it was all because of Yahiko's deal with Orochimaru but that wouldn't explain everything before Yahiko's deal.

The plan came together in his mind, driven by thoughts of revenge on the souls who had made his life to this point a living hell. According to Haku, everyone born around the time Naruto was wouldn't know about the demon being sealed inside of him so there was no need to hold them accountable, relieving him of the idea of hurting Haku or Hinata. But everyone else? They were all fair game to Naruto, the exception being those who were nice to Naruto before this point in time.

The destruction of Konoha's infrastructure would play an important part in his plans to come. With so much damage done and many now without a stable livelihood, Naruto would be able to take all levels of land from Konohagakure's citizenship. Real Estate investments would allow him to completely bypass the protection fees clientele paid because he would own the land the villagers lived in.

Of course there would be so much more to it than just that. Why own just the land when you could also control the government? If Konoha needed a Hokage, Naruto would provide them with one – it was just a question of who would make the best candidate: someone only he could easily manipulate, but no one would dare challenge if nominated. It was a small detail he would work out later.

The smaller details he would work out later, but he would have to concentrate on the first matter: acquiring properties scattered throughout Konoha and eliminating the competing gangs. The Shini and the Red Dragons would be trouble in that they would have to be completely wiped out. For a brief moment, Naruto wished he had the tactical genius of Eiji here to help him but that was no longer the case. He would have to make do without him.

He wanted to eliminate all the gangs after the memorial service for the Hokage and the village shinobi. He wanted to at least show his respects for the old man before he put his plan into action. Without any regard for his own health or well being, Naruto climbed off his bed and reached for _Kitsune_. He stopped as he prepared to leave, catching sight of the daffodil Hinata had brought him. He hesitated for a moment, reconsidering his nefarious plan before recanting. He made for the door but stopped when he realized he was in a hospital gown.

A quick scan of his room provided him with his clothes which were neatly folded by the door. Naruto threw on his clothes, pocketing his goggles as opposed to donning them. He wouldn't need to maintain a low profile if the entire village knew he was here. He proceeded out the door towards the nearest exit. Hinata, Haku, and the three guards were surprised to see Naruto so abruptly exiting his room. They chased after the boy quickly, asking, "Boss! What are you doing!?"

"Outside, training," Naruto grunted angrily, "Haku, I want you to give Shinji a message for me: Tell him we're buying properties and to leave all our money aside for that."

"Okay, what are you planning?" Haku asked, only to be answered with more orders, "Have everyone you can find out about these Shini, Red Dragons and whoever the third gang is. We'll make our move the day after the memorial so I want everything prepared then. Can you do that?"

"I can," Haku replied.

"What about us, boss?" one of the clansmen asked. Naruto waved them off, "You're Haku's boys, right? Ask him."

"Yes sir," they said, departing with Haku as they reached the main gate. Naruto continued out past the hospital gates towards the nearest training ground. Hinata followed closely behind him all the while without uttering a single word. Naruto didn't find any particular problem with her company but he did find it unnerving. Especially as they started passing villagers and whispers began to fly around them.

"He really is alive."

"We should take him now."

"You all felt it, right? Back during the invasion."

"You don't think…"

Naruto ignored them but kept one hand wrapped firmly around his katana just in case. Although the villagers were pretending to go about their business as if nothing was wrong, Naruto could hear some considering attacking him then and there. If push came to shove, he wanted to be ready. Hinata could readily hold her own, but he didn't want any of the villagers' anger to spill over onto her, "You should head back home, Hinata."

"I'm fine," Hinata replied calmly.

"Hinata, I don't think now would be a good time to openly associate with me," Naruto explained, "You should head home before things get dangerous."

"Naruto, I—"

"I don't want you to get hurt Hinata," Naruto raised his voice, cutting off Hinata mid sentence, "So please, just go home."

Without warning, Hinata wrapped her arms around Naruto in a soft but warm embrace, "Naruto, I… if… if being disowned by my clan didn't stop me from being your friend, why would this?"

Naruto stopped in his tracks. Naruto looked over his shoulder to see Hinata burying her face into his back. Naruto wanted to return the embrace but knew better than to do so in public. It would damn Hinata in front of everyone, something he wouldn't allow to happen. Knowing full well what his best course action was, he shrugged off Hinata's embrace and continued walking without so much as acknowledgement for her kind gesture.

Naruto didn't look back. Doing so would show he cared, something he couldn't openly do without putting Hinata at risk. As he put more distance between himself and Hinata, he repeated aloud, "Go home, Hinata."

……………

Naruto arrived at the training grounds, troubled by his decision to dismiss Hinata's affection but knew it was better for her to not associate with him at the moment. The whole village was angry with him, not Hinata. He would not let them lay a finger on her and would personally see to anyone that tried. With renewed anger, Naruto held up his katana and began to focus chakra into it.

As he did, an idea popped into his head. Why use his own chakra? He had an all powerful demon fox inside him who had near limitless chakra at its disposal. There was the issue of contacting the demon fox since it usually contacted him. He supposed it was as simple as thinking of it, _Kitsune, can you hear me?_

"**I really don't want to, but yes,**" the Kitsune's voice mirrored back. A smile drew itself on his face, _Good! I'm going to take some of your chakra, like it or not!_

"**Excuse me?**" the fox replied, "**What makes you think I'll allow that!**"

_Because you're living inside my body! _Naruto retorted, _And, I think it's time you started paying me some rent to live here!_

"**I refuse,**" the demon fox grunted_,_ "**I am not another one of your so called clients who pay you money to protect their livelihoods! I am a demon lord! You do not come to me and make petty demands! You come to me and grovel at my feet!**"

_You can look at it like this: Either you loan me your chakra for my training or I use my own chakra and we both die from chakra exhaustion! Your choice!_ Naruto thought angrily. The fox remained silent, much to Naruto's dismay. He seriously considered begging the fox for a moment but decided against it. He was the leader of the Kitsune Clan and he couldn't afford to show any weakness, even to a demon. Then he heard a laugh. A cold, hard, mocking cackle, "**Very well, Uzumaki Naruto. I'll loan you some of my chakra this time!**"

"That's what I like to hear!" Naruto grinned stupidly, correcting his posture and refocusing chakra into his weapon. It was not his own chakra focusing into the katana, but the demon fox's. To Naruto's surprise, something was amiss. The katana did not vibrate violently in his hand, nor did a sudden burst of chakra explode in his face and send him flying. On the contrary, the fox's chakra molded naturally with the blade. Naruto's jaw fell open at the development before him and his mind reeled at the sudden realization. It couldn't possible have been so simple, could it?

_Hey, Fox! _Naruto thought, _the chakra in Kitsune…is it yours?_

"**Perhaps. My very presence can leave residual chakra that lasts for years. How am I to know what happens to it? I am all powerful, not omnipotent.**"

_Then, can't you take your chakra out of Kitsune so I can use my own chakra with it! _Naruto thought.

"**I suppose.**"

_Do it, _Naruto thought, allowing the chakra in his katana to dissipate. He waited for a moment, expecting something to happen when the Kyubi removed its chakra from the katana. Nothing. An annoyed Naruto thought, _Well?_

"**I already did it. The weapon is now without a master, you just have to infuse it with your own chakra.**"

_Right,_ Naruto focused his own chakra into the katana. The katana became warm to the touch, glowing the same light color of his own blue chakra, _How long will this take?_

"**A few more minutes,**" the fox replied. Naruto continued focusing chakra into the weapon, _So how did your chakra wind up in Kitsune?_

"**As I said, I don't know. I have near limitless chakra, so much so the residual chakra I shed can remain for years. I'm sure there was plenty of residual chakra here twelve years ago after your Hokage defeated me. As for what happened to it, it's anyone's guess. It should be done now**."

Naruto stopped, annoyed at the anti-climactic outcome of infusing his weapon with his own chakra. He hoped for something a bit more dazzling than a little glow. Anything would have been better, given the amount of effort he had put in to it for some time. At the very least, he could now mold his own chakra with it. Now, he just needed to know what to do with it. As he recalled, Zabuza and Haku determined his chakra type was wind chakra.

Naruto returned his katana into its sheathe and decided to leave. Sure, he just arrived at the training ground but he couldn't go anywhere else with his training if he didn't know more about wind chakra.

……………

Naruto caught his first glimpse of the Kitsune Office since the invasion. The left half of the upper floor was covered in a white tarp, which was the source of hammering noises. The damage it took was far less in comparison to the neighboring buildings, one which was reduced to a pile of rubble while the other's third floor disappeared. That, or one of the lower two floors was caved in.

Naruto ventured inside, where two men Naruto recognized as Shinji's accountants were busy tending to a mob, "Look! We'll reimburse everyone as soon as we've finished running the numbers! One of our associates will be by to drop off your money."

Naruto pushed his way past the crowd, into the back of building and made his way into his office. Inside were Haku, Shinji and Gan gathered in a circle. Shinji and Gan stood up immediately on his arrival, "Boss!"

"Hello, Shinji, Gan," Naruto greeted, taking his seat behind the desk. Haku was the first to speak, saying, "I was just giving Shinji and Gan your orders."

"Naruto, are you serious about this?" Shinji asked apprehensively, "We don't have the budget for this! How are we going to make it happen?"

"How else?" Naruto answered smugly, crossing his legs, "We make things cheaper!"

"Makes sense," Gan agreed, "Prices are already down because of the invasion and I always wanted to open up a branch here in the village. I suppose you want me to aid Haku in these operations."

"It would help if you guys were located closer to the office," Naruto nodded in agreement, "Help Haku out, although I doubt he will need it."

Haku nodded in thanks for the compliment, the confident smile betraying his otherwise passive demeanor. Shinji remained the only one clueless to the other's plan. With an annoyed groan, Shinji demanded, "Can someone tell me what's going on?"

Gan and Haku swapped expressions, and then returned their gaze to the still confused Shinji. It was Han who had to explain to Shinji, "Have you ever noticed anything in the books whenever we wage a war against one of our enemies?"

"Yeah, our income drops."

"Why do you suppose that is?" Han inquired knowingly, much to Shinji's chagrin. In a fit of frustration, Shinji reclined back into his chair and kicked his legs up onto Naruto's desk. Then it dawned on him and his frown only grew, "You're serious?"

"I am," Naruto replied with a nod, "We have until the day of the Memorial Service to prepare. Shinji, set aside everything so we can buy up the land when the time is right. Haku, you and your boys find out everything you can about these three gangs. Gan, I want you and everyone else in your private security firm ready for when Haku makes his move. I want all of them wiped out as swiftly as possible, but draw it out long enough to drop prices down."

"As you wish," Gan bowed respectfully.

"I'll do what I can," Shinji frowned, "This is going to be a hell of a lot of paperwork."

……………

After three days of careful planning, the time came to put their plans into motion. Dark clouds had gathered on that day, despite the clear sunny weather the day before. The instant the funeral began, rain started to pour down on everyone. As the others began to assemble, Naruto heard a shinobi comment, "It's as if the heavens themselves are crying."

At least half of the clan joined Naruto at the memorial service for the third Hokage and the lives lost during the invasion. At the funeral procession, everyone took their turns presenting a flower before the makeshift shrine constructed in honor of the deceased. As Naruto took his place in line leading up to the shrine, he couldn't help but think the skies were raining for another reason.

…………

In another part of the village, Miji and three handpicked friends stood in wait. In all Haku's time gathering information on the other gangs, he discovered the Shini had no intention of attending the funeral. Instead, their gang intended to celebrate the deaths of so many ninja by having a party at their 'secret' hang out. Oddly, their hang out consisted of the basement of an abandoned bar which had gone untouched by the ravages of war.

Their patience paid off well as the first members of the Shini had arrived and disappeared inside the building. One of Miji's friends became anxious, reaching for the katana he kept on his person. Miji had to still his hand, adding in a soft whisper, "Not yet."

A few more arrived and disappeared inside with the others. And then the last member arrived, carrying a large barrel presumably full of beer. He called out for help from the others inside, who were quick to relieve him of his load. Once they were all inside, Miji and his boys made their move. They barricaded all the entrances and windows in and out of the building with crates filled with oil. Once all the doors were sufficiently blocked, they each set fire to one of the crates and retreated to safety. The fire spread quickly, jumping from the doors to the walls and to the roof. It took only a few moments but the fire consumed the entire building. When combined with the age of the dilapidated building, the fire forced the building to collapse on itself. From within, they could hear the screams of the Shini realizing they were trapped. They listened intently as the screams fell silent.

…………

Naruto was almost to the front of the line. In the distance, there was a small pillar of smoke billowing skyward. It was difficult to see because of the darkened sky but it served as sufficient sign for Naruto. The first part of the plan had gone through.

…………

Gan and two of his best employees were already at work with their assignment. The Red Dragons, as they called themselves, were not ones to live up to their names. They were cowards who hid behind the safety of numbers, something Gan found all too amusing at his age. He limped forward, shifting all his weight on to a makeshift cane. Using his puppet techniques, Gan manipulated his wooden doppelganger to stab one of the Red Dragons who was trying to crawl away.

The gangster screamed in horror as the puppet's sword pierced his body. With distaste, Gan had the puppet comment, "How dishonorable."

Gan stopped to examine the scene around him. His men performed admirably, painting the scene with the blood of their enemies. Bodies littered the scene, each torn to pieces in ways unimaginable. Gan was pleased with the work, making a mental note to give them raises. He smiled at their handiwork, until he took notice of a Red Dragon trying to flee out the door. With a flick of his wrist, Gan's puppet threw its katana at the fleeing gangster. The gangster let out a scream as the katana impaled his chest. He fell to his knees, trying in vain to pull out the sword. The blood loss hit the man before the katana could be expelled, and he fell to the ground appropriately.

"We're done here," Gan admirably said to his men. They ran to his aid and assisted him outside into the pouring rain.

……………

Naruto was before the shrine. There, he chose to lay a single white flower and bowed in respect. He had no idea what to say, or if words would be appropriate. He could already feel the tears welling up in his eyes. He sighed weakly, forcing back his tears for the sake of appearances. Instead, he whimpered at below a whisper, "Good bye… old man."

With that, he retreated back to his place in the gathering, observing as the other villagers each paid their respects to the fallen. He thought of his plan, and wondered if all was going well. The smoke he saw earlier meant Haku did his job and Gan said he would have his job done long before the memorial service. That left one last part to the plan.

...............

Haku watched from amidst the rooftops as his awaited target's bodyguards appeared from within their hideout. The first scanned the immediate area to make sure it was safe before opening the door all the way. Their boss followed after him, revealing himself to be one of the former of the Enkou's. Upon closer inspection, Haku came to realize this gang was made mostly of members of the former Enkou and Kaki.

Haku decided to bring this information to Naruto's attention after he finished his assignment. He followed his target down the street, making sure they came upon an open area. Normally Haku would kill him and be on his way long before anyone knew what had happened, but his orders were to carry out the assassination as publically as possible. They came upon a cross roads, some distance away from the memorial service.

Haku made his move, racing into the action and capturing his target before his bodyguards. The man screamed to be released, struggling in vain against Haku's grip. The guards rushed to aid their boss, each revealing a katana before Haku. The lead guard was the only one to speak, "Listen up! Let the boss go and we swear we'll let you walk away alive!"

"Forgive me," Haku pleaded calmly, "But you and your gang represent a threat to the interests of the Kitsune."

"The Kitsune?" the lead guard repeated. Haku nodded with a curt smile, "Yes."

The message had been delivered, leaving Haku to carry out the summary execution. He took out his senbon needle and jabbed it into the man's jugular, right into one artery and out the other. Haku pulled the needle out and pushed the man to the ground, watching as blood squirted out every few seconds with each beat of his heart. Satisfied with a job well done, Haku fled towards the roof of the nearest building and disappeared before the guards could retaliate for their boss's murder.

……………

The moment the memorial was over, the rain stopped and the clouds started to clear. Slowly, the crowd dissipated as everyone left to return to their homes. Among that crowd, Naruto caught sight of the young Konohamaru standing in a fixed gaze at the shrine. It dawned on Naruto that Konohamaru was the grandson of the Third, a fact he had completely forgotten as time had gone by. Naruto approached the young boy, who made a brave front by refusing to shed a tear despite Naruto knowing the boy was grieving inside. Upon reaching the boy, Naruto patted him on the shoulder to get his attention, "Konohamaru."

Without much warning the boy started to bawl uncontrollably. He allowed the boy to cry, staying with him the whole time to wipe his tears and provide emotional support. As this happened, Haku appeared beside him and whispered into his ear, "I've spoken with Gan and Miji. Everything's taken care of."

"Good," Naruto commented, "Get everything ready for what happens next."

Haku bowed and took his leave, leaving Naruto to tend to the grieving Konohamaru. Konohamaru continued to weep whilst Naruto contemplated the future of the village and if his decision would be for the best.

……………

**Author's Notes: **Hey folks. That's one more chapter over and done with. Once again, I do apologize for the fiasco with the previous chapter. My next update will be in eight weeks on Friday, May 21st. If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on the Facebook or Playstation Network (PSN ID leo11235). Don't forget to check out my Resistance Sample. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	35. The Hyuga's Resilience

**Disclaimer: **Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as a cartoon by Viz Media. The Art of War is the published text of Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicates, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Notes:** HELLO FOLKS! I know it's been a long eight weeks but I've had a lot to do and most of that time was devoted to finals at NIU's School of Nursing. As I'm slowly learning, the health care system is designed to suck! But I digress, you all came here to read the latest installment in Oyabun so let's get right into it. I personally feel this is my weakest chapter yet since I had to find a way to connect two major plot points which I told myself I would get to when I got to this point. First, thanks to Kells for betaing my fanfictions for me. Next, I want to get into the review responses:

**Dark Ravie: **I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope your looking forward to this one. I apologize about the quality and the length as I didn't get as much time to work on it as I would have liked.

**Hieiashke: **I'm glad you gave this story a chance and even more pleased to see you enjoyed it. Please continue to enjoy and love.

**Lexor: **Yeah, that part about the katana was intended to be anticlimactic as a joke on the reader. I don't think too many people liked it though.

**Randow: **I make roughly two chapters every 6-8 weeks depending on my schedule and I try to post them by 9 PM Central Standard Time. I originally planned Oyabun to be twenty chapters but at the rate this is going, I imagine it will go at least another 5 chapters.

**Armor of Geddon: **Ah, funny you caught that. I intended that to be a joke, a kind of double entendre at the Kyubi's expense. I'm glad you caught it and I hope you got a laugh out of it.

**Feyathene: **Things….might. I still have to cover two more story arcs before I can reach the conclusion. Here's hoping!

**Shadow-Sensei: **Well then Shadow-sensei-sama-sensei-sempai-sensei-sama-sempai-san (Fun little Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged Joke) – I have only this to say: A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man.

**Warsaw2: **Probably not, but I admit to having done some drugs when I initially wrote this chapter.

**xNocturnex: **That's perfectly understandable Nocturne. For all intents and purposes, I lost interest in Naruto a long time ago and only continue to write this story because I enjoy writing so much. Anyway, if you like it, that's great but if you don't that's fine.

**Evelyn627: **I'm glad you learned so much about the yakuza. I did a lot of independent research just to get a basic understanding of the inner workings of the clans.

**Cryptozthunderlord: **Oh god, I really have got to fix that. In my defense, it was a mistake I made some time ago and have consistently procrastinated in my need to correct. Forgive my laziness.

**Denim Giant: **Well, I'm glad you enjoy the story so much and I will take some of your suggestions under consideration. However, I might save them for a potential sequel depending on how well this chapter ends.

Well, that's it for now. I now present to you reader the next installment in Oyabun:

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 35: The Hyuga's Resilience**

In one of the village's abandoned training grounds, Naruto sparred with one of his Gan's subordinates: a swordsman by the name of Scorpio who wore the uniform of Gan's Private Security Contracting Company. That is: he dressed in black fatigues with yellow trim and a white dragon emblazoned over the back which doubled as the holster for his katana. Over his fatigues, he wore yellow body armor and pads which concealed an array of weapons Naruto couldn't begin to fathom. He concealed his face behind a black balaclava with a metal head band which also bore a white dragon.

Naruto found himself struggling to keep pace with Scorpio, his movements so fluid and effortless that one would think he was mocking Naruto. To be fair, he probably was because Naruto was too preoccupied keeping the sharp edge of Scorpio's blade away from him to read his next move. Perhaps Naruto's own skill had declined from general disuse or Scorpio was simply so good, Naruto couldn't keep up. In either case, it served as a decent distraction from the current events unfolding before him.

His mind remained restless since the day of the memorial service even if it was roughly two weeks eariler because he knew the price others would pay because of his plans. Little was known about the third gang except what information Haku gathered, being they were made of the remnants of the Kaki and the Enkou. Their retaliation was swift, resulting in the brutal murder of two of Haku's men on night patrol. Naturally, a counterattack culminated in the death of two of the rival gang's own members.

From there, it became a never-ending cycle of attack and counter-attack that turned into a war of attrition. In turn, real estate prices declined across the board. Shinji started purchasing properties left and right, primarily cheap properties Shinji noted could be cost-effectively renovated into low cost housing facilities. Gan did not hesitate to expand his own business, purchasing a small building near the village's main gate and setting up shop shortly afterwards. As if to compete with the village's own Shinobi services, Gan informed Naruto that his weekly tribute would decline significantly because he wanted to put funds into advertising his presence. Naruto had no complaints and gave Gan his blessing.

While the village reconstruction continued, Naruto and Shinji collaborated on allowing those who lost their homes to use the Kitsune's newfound properties as free shelters overseen by men from Gan's own Security Firm. As smoothly as the plan was carrying itself out, only one thing continued to hinder the progress of the Kitsune's takeover of the village: Naruto's connection to the Nine Tailed Demon Fox or, perhaps more accurately, the revelation of his existence to the entire village.

Because of this, many were now weary to approach the Kitsune with their needs. Naruto shouldn't have been too surprised by this development since it meant the village would now be treating him in its previous manner with the added addition of some spite for his control of the Kitsune Clan and its hold over a good chunk of Konoha's properties. The couple who approached him not too long ago asking for money so they could be properly married were weary of asking him to attend the ceremony as a sign of thanks. They hesitated and paused repeatedly, fearful of Naruto as one would fear a diseased rat. Naruto accepted the invitation and made a mental note to attend briefly so as not to harass their other guests—

KLANG!

Naruto just barely managed to block a side swipe by Scorpio, regaining his focus and using the recoil to catapult himself back at his opponent. Scorpio caught Naruto's katana in between his hands and whipped Naruto behind with ease, sending the young gang leader into a tree. Naruto adjusted his position so he would hit the tree feet first and proceeded to run up it before leaping backwards off its highest point and pointing his sword straight down in a dive.

Scorpio lept out of Naruto's way, resulting in a ground shaking crash from Naruto's sword burying itself into the earth. As Naruto pulled on his katana, he noticed Scorpio charging in with his katana above his head to finish the duel. Adrenaline pumped through Naruto's body, giving the energy he needed to pull his katana out of the ground and block Scorpio's death strike. Scorpio rebounded off Naruto's katana and rolled away into a tree. Naruto saw his chance to win and charged forward with his sword over his head. Scorpio rolled on to his side and pushed himself off the ground just in time to see Naruto position the katana against his neck.

Scorpio was surprised at Naruto's surprising win and was petrified in fear at the notion of his own death. Scorpio retained his calm from years of training and maintained a calm composure in the face of Naruto's win. Naruto then sheathed his sword and bowed respectfully to Scorpio, "Thank you for the match."

"It was an honor," Scorpio responded with a bow, "You're fighting style was very familiar. Do you happen to know Sora Keitaro?"

"I trained with him for six weeks," Naruto answered, "When I was in the Land of Waves."

"It shows," Scorpio commented, "Mind you, he never was the most graceful fighter. His style is very blunt but focused – it goes in straight for the kill instead of gauging the enemy, not that he would have to."

Behind them, an alarm clock Scorpio set up two hours before went off loudly. Scorpio hit the button on top to silence it, "Our time's up Boss Kitsune. If you'll excuse me, I have to return to my patrols."

"Alright, take care Scorpio," Naruto parted with the man, taking his alarm clock and departing from the training grounds. Naruto wished the match lasted a little longer but reluctantly accepted the fact that he had several piles of paper work awaiting him back in the Kitsune Office. Naruto really came to dread the paperwork primarily because of all the red tape it came with. For any action the Kitsune Clan performed, there were at least ten different laws relating to it. Yes, he did relegate most of it Shinji but it still came back to him since he had to approve everything involving the clan's finances, especially in these trying times.

Much to Naruto's dismay he was wrong about the piles of paperwork. His brief negligence gave it enough time to pile into a mountain which now completely hid everything on the opposite side of his desk. Naruto sulked at the sight of the paperwork but knew it was his duty as head of the clan and so he dove into it, knowing he would be able to at least finish half of it if he read non-stop for the next ten or twelve hours. That is, if he managed to get through such a load without falling asleep.

He took the first document in his hand and skimmed it briefly to get a gist of its contents. Apparently, the Kitsune Clan secured ownership of roughly one third of the village along with renovation. Shinji projected a steady stream of rent coming in over the course of the next few weeks as the many displaced and homeless rented out the low cost housing for the time being. Unfortunately, it required several cuts for everyone's pay, including Naruto, who would see at least a fifty percent decline, until there was a positive return.

The next few documents were copies of contracts Gan signed with several employers – primarily escort and security duties which were all sealed with competitively low deals compared to what the village's own shinobi forces offered. One in particular which caught his attention involved protecting a nearby noble's estate which previously employed only shinobi. Naruto was happy to see Gan enjoying the fruits of success, however his accomplishment wasn't enough to offset the heavy losses the clan as a whole was taking thanks to Naruto's plan. It was just a matter of time, Naruto reminded himself as he continued reading. Another week or two would see profits and a steady return to the Kitsune's former standing.

As he continued reading, Naruto stumbled across a document regarding the acquisition of properties surrounding the Hyuga Compound. The head of the Hyuga Clan, one Hyuga Hiashi, was pressuring the neighboring land owners into not selling their properties. Apparently, Hiashi did not want the drive down the cost of his own estate by surrounding it with 'Invalids', as he chose to call them. Naruto crumpled the paper before finishing it, annoyed with the Hyuga's head for both his past and present behavior. He was already peeved with Hiashi for disowning Hinata, and his interference with Naruto's plans was only fueling his bitterness.

Naruto's dismay with the Hyuga head was retracted only by the famished growl his stomach unleashed. Suddenly aware of his own hunger, Naruto eyed the nearest clock to find four hours passed and the time was now six. Naruto hoped to satisfy his hunger with a nice warm bowl of miso ramen with an egg, two shrimp and some slices of tofu. The Ichiraku Ramen was unaffected by Otogakure's sudden invasion however they did now rely on one of the Kuroihi's toll roads for a supply of ingredients. To show his thanks, Teuchi agreed to feed any of the clansmen who came by for free as long as they behaved appropriately. Naruto planned to take advantage of said generosity to score himself a steaming hot bowl of the savory soup.

Naruto walked the familiar route to Ichiraku, passing his eyes back and forth over the dozens of villagers busy at work rebuilding their homes. He could feel the villagers' eyes darting in his direction, none of which were pleased to see him. Naruto refused to let their glares get to him and continued his trek to the Ichiraku. He arrived to find both Teuchi and his daughter Ayame busy making ramen for a line of customers which went around the block. As Teuchi put it, free meals were his contribution to the relief effort.

Naruto ignored the pained grumbles of his stomach and took his place in line, quietly wishing his stomach wouldn't be so loud. It didn't matter though, since there was a symphony of stomach growls coming from those waiting in line with him. Naruto would have empathized with them were it not for the glares from before. When his turn finally came for a free bowl of ramen, he found the small restaurant's atmosphere was none too inviting. Taking the hint, Naruto finished his bowl quickly and departed back for the main Kitsune Office.

He had just enough time to settle into his chair behind the desk, before there was a knocking at his door. The door flung open before Naruto had a chance to reply, allowing a hurried accountant in Shinji's employ entrance, "Forgive the intrusion Oyabun. There's an emergency which requires your attention."

"If it's an error in the books, let Shinji look over it," Naruto said calmly, "He's better at making sense of those numbers than I am."

"That's just it, sir! No one's been able to contact him since yesterday. He left to go close some more deals on property purchases and no one's seen him since."

"Hold on, you're probably overreacting," Naruto reasoned, "Did he mention where he'd be going?"

"No, he just took some files and left," the accountant replied, "He's not at his place or with any of our clients. We've checked all his usual hang outs but we can't find him anywhere. There's some worry at the office he's been captured."

"Okay, calm down," Naruto pleaded with the man, "What's your name?"

"Hiro, Oyabun," the accountant answered. Naruto nodded and folded his hands under his chin, "Okay, Hiro. I'll have somebody look into it. For now, I want you to fill in for Shinji until we can find him."

"Um, but Oyabun, shouldn't we look for Shinji instead?" Hiro offered. Naruto shook his head and vehemently stated, "As I said, I'll have my best man look into it."

This seemed to satisfy Hiro and he left with a respectful bow out the door. Naruto was worried for Shinji as well but he had his own mounting pile of paperwork to take care of, not to mention the other matters he had to look over. In his mind, Naruto suspected something ran afoul with their rival gang – whom Haku and Gan consistently kept under their thumb to make sure property values declined appropriately.

Yes, the entire war was being coordinated to manipulate property values across the village but that didn't mean there weren't casualties on both sides. Naruto feared Shinji would be the next casualty but he had to remain optimistic. Things were going as planned so far, but losing Shinji would hinder his plans significantly.

Hinder, but not stop.

No, Hashi-sensei and Keitaro both explained to him the difference between a Ninkyo Dantai and a Bosuzoku. He couldn't fall into old patterns and let Shinji die. At the same time, he couldn't ignore the mountain of paperwork. Weighing his two options, Naruto heaved a sigh and decided against doing any more paperwork until he knew Shinji was safe. Unfortunately for Naruto, this meant an even bigger mountain when he came back.

He stepped out into the cold night air, finding the villagers still busy with reconstruction work up and down the street. Proceeding once again through the crowded streets, Naruto ventured to the closest property on the list of locations the Kitsune had yet to secure. It was a small, ramshackle apartment complex that was partially destroyed during invasion. It went without saying the apartment was already in disrepair before the attack but it did little to help.

The only reason the Kitsune had been unsuccessful in its acquisition was the owner's refusal to sell it. The owner claimed the property had sentimental value but was really masking an effort to bill displaced refugees who were using it at that particular time. Naruto doubted Shinji would be there since the owner was not one to cause too much trouble when members of the Kitsune were involved. As if to prove himself right, he arrived there to find the owner furiously arguing with one of her tenants regarding their spoiled child. When she caught sight of Naruto, she immediately calmed her tone but stood firm in her position.

Certain Shinji wasn't here, Naruto proceeded on to the next location on the list: a quaint little restaurant not too far from the Hyuga Compound. It was one of the properties which refused to budge on any offer the Kitsune made, even though the Kitsune would only be acquiring the land as opposed to the actual business. It was part of Hiashi Hyuga's campaign against the Kitsune which was succeeding, much to Naruto's annoyance. A brief questioning of the restaurant manager proved useless, as Shinji was nowhere near the property all day.

Naruto left the restaurant bound for the next property, a housing complex by the Hyuga main gate. Just outside it, he found a small crowd gathered around outside the main gate. Naruto wondered what would have gathered such a large crowd and asked one of the bystanders, "Excuse me, what's everyone looking at?"

"Another hit," the bystander replied, "This time it looks some of those Dewaya guys."

"That's Kitsune," Naruto corrected before diving into the crowd when the man's words sank in. He pushed his way through the dozens of people now overlooking the sight before them, all the while worried Shinji would be there. After a long pass through the crowd, Naruto emerged on the far side where he witnesssed three bloodied corpses lined across the wall. On each body was a note, all of which read: Nobody betrays the Phoenix. Unsure of the cryptic meaning to the message, Naruto proceed to examine the bodies.

The bloodstains against the wall suggested they were lined up against it and then executed one at a time. Judging exclusively from the bruising and the disfigurement, Naruto suspected they were tortured before their execution. This would make identification impossible but he tried anyway, removing his black blazer to wipe the blood from their faces and pushing their hair aside. After a few minutes of cleaning, he promptly concluded the body on the left was not Shinji.

He proceeded to the next body in the line, wiping away all the blood from his face. Unfortunately for him, his face was too disfigured to tell who it was specifically but he could hazard a guess that it wasn't Shinji either. Naruto moved onto the next body in the line, using the only dry corner left on his blazer to wipe away the blood rolling down his face. The head jerked back suddenly and coughed, "Who…who's there?"

Naruto recognized the voice immediately and said, "Shinji, it's me, Naruto."

"Boss?" Shinji choked on his words and coughed, "There was an ambush. They captured two others and me. They tried to get us to talk…I didn't. Sorry."

"Save your strength Shinji," Naruto commented, scanning Shinji briefly and finding the stab wound on his abdomen. Naruto tore off one of the sleeves on his dress shirt and his tie to create a make shift bandage. He wrapped it around Shinji's waist and promptly declared, "Somebody get a medic!"

He snapped when nobody in the crowd replied to him, "Dammit! Somebody get me a medic!"

"What's going on here? Why are you all outside my home?" the authoritative voice of the Hyuga clan head demanded. Naruto looked up to see Hiashi emerging from within the crowd, his face drawn into a furious scowl which he directed upon Naruto, "You? What are you doing at my home? And what is this?"

"My friends here were executed," Naruto explained, "They need help."

"Why? So you can continue your war?" Hiashi argued, "I won't endanger the lives of my clan to help your kind."

"Oh, sod off," Shinji coughed, "Would you get your head…out of the gutter for…once. I'm bleed…ing here!"

Shinji's comment struck a cord with the Hyuga clan head. The anger in his voice betrayed his otherwise excellent composure, "You insolent little-"

"Enough! Both of you!" Naruto growled at the two of them. They didn't have time to waste of petty squabbling with Shinji's condition, "Lord Hyuga, with all due respect: if you're just going to stand there whining, then go get a medic."

"I do not receive orders from invalids," Hiashi frowned, "If you want a medic, get one yourself. I won't trouble myself with your kind."

Naruto's patience with the clan head was wearing thin. He knew he had to maintain a respectful demeanor for the sake of relations with the village shinobi clans. However, Hiashi was trying his temper and Naruto wasn't sure how much longer he could overlook the Hyuga head's comments, "Regardless of social standing, are you really going to sit by while someone dies at your door?"

"No, I am not," Hiashi frowned. He stepped inside the Hyuga manor and reappeared shortly after with seven of his clansmen. One departed immediately towards the village hospital and the other six took Shinji and the other two victims in their arms. Naruto followed them as they carried the three Kitsune inside the Hyuga property. Naruto was both pleased and perplexed by Hyuga's actions, glad to see Shinji would be cared for but worried about whatever Hiashi would charge Naruto for his 'generosity'.

They carried Shinji and the others inside one of the smaller houses, with Hiashi and Naruto in tow. Once they were inside, Hiashi closed the door behind him and remarked, "I want you to understand that my actions were solely for the sake of appearance and do not reflect on any wish to aid your kind. That said, I want you to understand I expect compensation for this reprieve of normal behavior."

"Figures," Naruto grumbled under his breath, following Hiashi inside what appeared to be a living room where a small table rested in the center of the room with pillows on all four sides. Hiashi took a seat on one end and Naruto in the opposite, kneeling on the pillow and sitting in the formal Seiza position. Hiashi looked Naruto square in the eye and added, "I should warn you not to try any of your tricks upon me. As one of the high ranking shinobi in this village, any physical attempts upon my life will be countered without hesitation. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," Naruto rolled his eyes apprehensively. The Hyuga head was not impressed by Naruto's antics and commented, "I want you to stop trying to buy the land around the manor."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Naruto replied, "These properties are important towards the Kitsune's investments for the future."

"As I am well aware," Hiashi replied, "However, I'm afraid I am not as easily fooled as the rest of the village. You claim you wish to renovate and reinvest in the village in its time of need, but the reality of your plan is to control the majority of the property thus allowing you to control the pricing of houses. That is a power I am afraid the Hyuga cannot afford to surrender towards you."

"You think too much of me," Naruto smiled mischieviously, "I am not that smart. I'm only twelve!"

"And please don't undermine me," Hiashi retorted, "You and I both know you're the one who orchestrated the massacre of two rival gangs, not to mention orchestrating this war with a third gang. I believe they call themselves the Phoenix Corp?"

"I admit, we are in a state of diplomatic unrest with another organization," Naruto replied, "But I assure you we are making attempts to patch things ov-"

"Please, do not insult my intelligence," Hiashi interrupted, "I am well aware of your schemes and manipulations. Believe me when I say I won't sit idly by if you don't cease."

Before Naruto had time to reply, there was a small knock at the door. It slid open to reveal a young girl kneeling at the entryway with a set of tea. With a curt bow, she greeted them, "Good evening father. I heard you were entertaining a guest so I prepared some tea."

"Thank you Hanabi," Hiashi greeted his daughter. Hanabi bowed once again before entering the room with the tea set. She set the kettle and two cups down, gracefully filling the two cups with tea and passing one to her father before Naruto. With her task done, Hanabi bowed and promptly left the room. Hiashi took a drink of his tea first, while Naruto asked, "She's your daughter?"

"Yes," Hiashi explained, "She is quite skilled for age, surpassing the benchmarks set by previous generations of the clan."

"Congratulations," Naruto replied half-heartedly. He took a drink of his cup and curiously asked, "Was Hinata as talented?"

"That is irrelevant as she is no longer welcome among us," Hiashi answered coldly, "I was under the impression that was already clear with you."

"Yes it was," Naruto said calmly. He was certain he would snap if he spent any more time conversing with the Hyuga lord. Naruto suddenly recalled the promise he made to Hinata some time ago, where he swore he would resolve the issue with her family as soon as possible. The problem was, Hiashi did not seem keen on budging on the matter. Doing his best to remain calm, he realized he would have to press the matter if he was going to keep said promise, "However, that doesn't mean you can simply act as if you no longer care. After all, she is your first born daughter."

Hiashi remained unimpressed and diverted the subject, "We're losing focus of the reason you're here. We were discussing the terms of the aid I've provided your associates. As I said before, I want you to stop buying properties around the manor."

"And like I said, I can't do that, Lord Hyuga," Naruto adamantly proclaimed, "But I can promise to minimize the presence of my men around your manor after the acquisitions are in order. That way, the property value of your manor will remain unaffected."

"Do you really think this is about property values?" Hiashi inquired angrily, "Believe me when I say the last thing on my mind is the value of my land. On the contrary, I am trying to prevent those I care from losing what little they have left."

Naruto was taken aback by Hiashi's response. He never believed Hiashi was capable of caring for anything beyond his own pride. It was possible Hiashi's claim of caring for others was a ruse to throw Naruto off but he wasn't sure such was the case. Naruto had to test Hiashi's words, but how could he manage such a thing? He pondered it briefly while Hiashi continued on.

"This is why I made great strides to secure the Hyuga's position as one of, if not the strongest clans in the village. To make sure no matter what the circumstance, we were always in a position to help those we cared for."

"Is that why you disowned your own daughter?" Naruto asked calmly, "Because she was endangering your clan's prominence? Because anything that appeared as weakness would harm the Hyuga's influence?"

Hiashi's face twitched for a second, but remained firm in its composure, "I no longer wish to discuss this matter, Uzumaki Naruto. Cease your attempts to acquire the land around my manor and we shall consider all debts settled."

Hiashi rose from his chair and turned to leave from the room. Naruto saw his opportunity to barter leaving and cried out, "Stop, Hiashi! We're not done here!"

Hiashi stopped in his tracks and glanced over his shoulder at Naruto, intently. Naruto realized this was his last chance to strike a favorable deal with the Hyuga Lord, so he rose from his seat and made eye contact with Hiashi's gaze. He maintained a calm composure and carefully considered his words. If he screwed up, there would be no second chance for him. With a hesitant but serious tone, Naruto said, "These are the terms I will agree to: I'll back off and stop trying to buy your friends' properties, if you promise to accept Hinata back into the Hyuga clan. In addition, I will return the properties I've acquired in exchange for taking care of Shinji."

"Watch your tongue boy," Hiashi warned, "I will not make bargains concerning my family."

"Then consider it a request," Naruto replied seriously, "Please accept Hinata into the Hyuga Clan, again."

"That is not up to discussion."

"That is my only offer! Do this, and the Kitsune Clan will stop buying off properties around your manor."

Hiashi paused for a moment, silently considering Naruto's offer. Naruto's mind racked against him. His terms were something Hiashi would never agree to but he had to keep his promise to Hinata. Hiashi dragged on his considerations for some time before asking, "Why are you so intent on ensuring her place in the clan?"

"I made a promise to her," Naruto replied, "That I would make things right after you disowned her from the clan."

"I see," Hiashi frowned. He turned to face Naruto and nodded, "Very well, I will agree to those terms. I expect all the land near my home to returned to their owners free of charge. In return, I will grant Hinata acceptance into the Hyuga clan again."

Naruto bowed thankfully to the Hyuga lord, happy to see he would be able to keep his promise to Hinata. Before Hiashi disappeared out the door he added, "Your friends can stay the night and will be transferred to the hospital tomorrow. From there, they are your concern."

"Thank you, Lord Hyuga."

"There is one more thing, Naruto," Hiashi stated briefly, "If you wish to see Hinata from now on, I expect you to do so within the Hyuga Compound and only with a day's notice before hand."

"Wait- what?"

"Don't act surprised," Hiashi replied, "I know you'll want to see her again. From now on, I want you to do so inside the compound and with a day's warning ahead of time. Is that clear?"

"Yes," Naruto answered. Hiashi appeared satisfied with this and left the room. Naruto took another sip of his tea and contemplated what just happened. Did Hiashi just give him permission to date Hinata? It wasn't that Naruto had a problem with it, it was just that he never really considered dating her until HIashi mentioned. He wasn't even sure if he liked her yet

Naruto concluded he was over complicating things by thinking too much and decided to finish his tea in silence. Afterwards, Naruto retreated to where the others had taken Shinji. His negotiations with Hiashi may not have been his best performance yet, he was pleased to know Shinji would be alright even if it came at a cost to himself and the clan.

…………

Shortly thereafter, Shinji was transferred to Konoha's Hospital. Naruto assigned two guards to stay by his door at all times until Shinji was approved for discharge. Shinji was none too pleased to hear his work was for nothing, since he would have to return several of the properties the Kitsune acquired and would be seeing no monetary gains from it. This in turn significantly hurt the books and created many complaints among Shinji's subordinates. Both Haku and Gan were pestering him about it as well, Gan in particular demanding why Naruto allowed the Kitsune to appear weak before one of Konoha's premeire shinobi clans. Especially considering how close the Kitsune was to acquiring all of the land in the village.

Hinata, however, seemed pleased with the arrangement and promptly appeared at the Kitsune Office to thank him. Naruto was glad to have kept his promise but was annoyed to find it came at quite the cost to himself.

Naruto spent some time contemplating his next move; unsure of anything else he could do to secure significant control of the village. It occurred to him that the village council still hadn't named a successor to the Third/Fourth Hokage as the candidate they chose declined the position. Naruto considered putting up a candidate of his own but the only shinobi he knew were under qualified for the position. Unless one counted Iruka-sensei but would he agree to being a puppet Hokage for the Kitsune? Naruto shook his head at the idea for he knew Iruka would never willingly betray Konoha.

So who else could he place as a candidate? It's not like he could bribe another shinobi into joining his cause because he didn't know any well enough to make that assumption. Who could he turn to? There had to be someone he could use, but who? He could probably use Jiraiya, the so called 'great Gama Sennin'. The only problem lay with the fact he was the village council's original choice and he turned it down already. As he ran his mind through the many possibilities, he recalled a certain name: A legendary lollipop or something that Haku and Zabuza wasted time chasing after endlessly in a game of cat and mouse.

It was a long shot but if Naruto could track down this person, he could probably convince him/her to become the puppet Hokage. As he recalled, she was in a hefty amount of debt and he was sure the proper persuasion would convince her to see things his way. He mused at the idea of having the Hokage at his beck and call, along with the entire village. Unfortunately for him, he had only one lead: the only Sannin he knew of.

As much as Naruto would enjoy commanding an entire village of elite shinobi, he wasn't sure he could handle spending any extended amount of time with him. It's not like he had to though, right? Probably, because it seemed like the Legendary Lolipop wasn't one to be dogged into going anywhere he/she didn't want. Naruto frowned at his predicament and smashed his fist against the table. It was a sacrifice he would have to make. If he was going to find this Sannin, he would have to seek out Jiraiya.

……………

**Author's Note: **Hey folks. That's one more chapter over and done with. Once again, I do apologize for the fiasco with the previous chapter. My next update will be in eight weeks on Friday, July 16th. If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on the Facebook or Playstation Network (PSN ID leo11235). Don't forget to check out my Resistance Sample. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	36. Loss of Faith

**Disclaimer: **Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as an animated series by Viz Media. The Art of War is a widely published text originally written Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicates, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Notes:** Hello, good evening, and potato to all you happy readers out there. Before I start this chapter I have some distressing news I want to share with you all: The US Supreme Court will be reviewing a California Case regarding the protection of Video Games under the First Amendment. Should they decide the First Amendment does not appeal to videogames, an unprecedented change in the industry affecting all gamers will follow. Not just minors, but casual gamers, hard core gamers, even foreign gamers. I implore you, as friends and fellow gamers, to sign the petition hosted at Entertainment Consumer's Action. Why? Because if the Supreme Court rules against us, we could see vast restrictions on videogames the likes we've never seen. Our favorite videogames could very well disappear from shelves, future titles face cancellation mid-production, and many others will never even see the light of proposal. Friends, put aside the petty fanboy allegiances that splinter us. Together, gaming can see a future brighter than other.

I apologize for rambling, but this is a cause that is very dear to my heart. Moving along, I feel this chapter is one of my strongest yet. Why? Because I rewrote the entire thing from scratch several times before I was pleased enough to let my beta proof it. I hope you enjoy this installment, and want to thank you all for making it this far with me. It's been an amazing four years writing Oyabun and I hope you're all having a good time. I want to offer a special thanks to Kells for agreeing to beta for me. And now, some review responses:

**Dark Ravie: **Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it and hope you fine this next chapter wonderful.

**Hieiashke: **Yeah, just a little word play on my part. Cannonically, Naruto wasn't the brightest kid on the block and I try hard to stay true to that.

**S. Warfield: **Thanks, if there's one thing I love it – it's constructive criticism. Admittedly, a lot of my writings are after thoughts because only the outline of the story has been set in my mind. Everything else is me trying to flesh out the story and make sure the story flows. I know I've opened a lot of plot points but I can't really tie them all up too soon otherwise I'll have put all of my eggs into one basket. In addition, The Sicilian and Naruto are so radically different from one another that finding a stable middle ground for them is impossible at times. I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm trying to keep the story as close to cannon as possible without writing my own mythos for the series which is what tends to happen with fan fics – they deviate so far from the original work that names are the only shared attributes. That said, thanks for your words and I'll try to work this into future chapters.

**Dan: **Okay, where do I begin with this? I know Iruka wouldn't make an ideal Hokage. It was just Naruto running ideas through his head and, canonically, he's never been the smartest kid around.

**Shadow-Sensei: **Konichiwa Shadow-kun, daijobu desu? Thanks for enjoying the previous chapter and I'm glad you liked it. And no worries if the review was late, we all have a lot of things to do with our lives. Admittedly, I'm surprised you're okay with my interpretation of Jiraiya. Granted he's a strong and cunning warrior, he always came off as a perverted goof ball in my eyes. That said, I intend to tie up most of the plot points I've opened up soon. That is: Keitaro and Hana's secret relationship, why Hashi helped Naruto, the nature of bushido, etc

**Jiraiya's Apprentice: **Glad you enjoyed it.

**MasterChick: **Is this…Lexi? If so, HEY! WHAT UP MEH HOMIE GIRL FROM FILIPINAS! KUMUSTAPO INDAY? If not, ignore everything I just said.

And so, I present the continuation of Oyabun:

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 36: Loss of Faith**

Naruto waited until the weekly meeting to propose his plan to compensate for the Kitsune's losses from his deal with the Hyuga head. As was expected, the recovery time went from a few weeks to roughly two months before the clan was able to pull itself out of the negative. Naruto and Haku had no problems with this but Shinji and several of the senior clan heads were pressuring him to revoke his arrangement with the Hiashi. Naruto had no intention of doing so, enduring the persistent complaints of his fellow clansmen.

It was no different at the weekly clan meeting, where several of the senior clansmen were berating Naruto for making a maligned deal that harmed the Kitsune in their already crippled state. The meeting took place in the same room where the election ceremony took place. The senior clansmen were seated along the edge of the room, with Naruto at the far wall opposite the door. On his left kneeled Haku and on his right was Gan filling in for Shinji. Shinji was still hospital ridden and in no condition to leave his bed, let alone discuss matters vital to the clan's survival.

"Boss Kitsune! What in the hell were you thinking?" one of the clansmen demanded.

"We're already in the red because of the invasion and your damn real estate plan wasn't helping! The last thing we needed was you to go and blow it up in our faces!" another reprimanded, "We're already in trouble as it is!"

"We voted you in because we were under the impression you had connections with several prominent clans? It seems we were wrong!"

"Clearly they're the ones pulling his strings!" One of the elderly clansmen accused Naruto, pointing a finger at Naruto.

"Everyone, please try to calm down," Gan reprimanded coolly, "I understand you have your concerns. We all do. But placing blame on others isn't going to resolve the matter. Need I remind you that it wasn't bickering which won the Third Shinobi War."

"It was action!" one of the clansmen interrupted conclusively, "And I propose our first action be the repeal of Uzumaki Naruto as the chairman of the clan!"

Many of the fellow senior clansmen nodded in agreement, along with some whispers flying back and forth. Naruto's heart sank deep into his chest, despaired to see the clan was losing faith in him. Naruto did make a costly sacrifice to keep his promise to Hinata, but it was a costly sacrifice that the entire clan would feel. They were right to chastise him for it, but Naruto refused to let them see his unease. Naruto crossed his arms across his chest and pretended to be deep in thought to hide the worry.

"Everyone, please," Gan growled dangerously, "Yes, action was what resolved the last war. However, I think many of you need to be reminded that it was calm, calculated action that won the war. Behaving in a rash manner will not pull us out of this slump."

"Perhaps," the clansman replied, "However, I will not drop my motion."

"Then we'll table it for the time being," Gan concluded, "Some of you may not realize but this is a pivotal time for the entire Kuroihi Syndicate. The syndicate's stake in Konoha has always been the crown jewel of its seat as the dominant Ninkyo Dantai. If we are not able to demonstrate our clan's ability to maintain control under these circumstances, we risk the collapse of the entire Syndicate. We would be looking at the second Shinobi war all over again!"

"What are you talking about, Gan?" Miji demanded. Gan paused, a glimpse of embarrassment breaking through his otherwise calm demeanor. Naruto was amazed to see Gan taken almost aback by Miji's demand. The only time Naruto had seen Gan like this was when Naruto held a blade to his neck during the council election. Something about Miji's remark caught Gan off guard. Before anyone else was able to pick up on Gan's anxiety, he diverted, "It's not important, Miji. What is important is our resolution to maintain the stability of our clan. We must show the world that we will not let the death of our last clan head, nor the attack on the village, hinder us."

"Thank you Gan," Naruto responded from his seat, "It's good to see someone still has some reason in them. I'll admit that my decision may have been rash and most of you aren't happy with the results. But all I ask for is some patience. I already have a contingency plan if you will hear me out."

Naruto waited for a response, but found his audience silent. He took that as an agreement to hear him out but took care to word himself correctly, "As many of you are aware, Konoha's Village Council has been unable to name a candidate for the title of Fifth Hokage. In light of recent events, it is safe to assume the council would prefer to name one of the 'Sannin' as their next Hokage. Jiraiya has already refused the position, something I'm sure most of you already know. There is another Sannin some of you make know. She would make an ideal candidate because of her debt with the various Ninkyo Dantai throughout the—"

"You aren't actually suggesting what I think you're suggesting, are you?" Miji interrupted with a tone of amused surprise.

"Gentlemen, I propose we place our own nominee as a candidate for the next Hokage." Naruto explained, "Imagine it, the Hokage at our beck and call. We could have the entire village of Konoha under our command with a simple election. No one would ever dare to oppose us."

Naruto felt momentarily triumphant, proud to see the astonishment on their faces. At least until he heard a chortle came from Miji. Like wild fire it spread to everyone else in the room save for Haku and Gan. Naruto's heart sank back into his chest two-fold, but he hid his disappointment behind a calm expression. He was hoping the others would be behind his proposition, but he had failed to consider the astounding presumptuousness of his plan.

"Listen," Miji said through laughter, "No one, and I mean no one, has ever tried to take control of a Shinobi village. Especially one of the Great Five!"

"Now hold on a minute," Naruto declared, "You're telling me you don't want the entire village at our disposal?"

"Hey, don't put words in my mouth," Miji retorted, "I said no has ever tried what you're planning before. Ninja and people like us have never gotten along. We're too different. And you're saying you want to take Konoha over? The strongest village in the shinobi world, and you think we can do that?"

"Not think, no," Naruto replied, "Everyone. A third of the village is rubble, half of the citizens are displaced, and the village doesn't have a leader. This is our chance to prove the Kitsune is the dominant clan in Konoha, to put ourselves in a position where no one would dare to think about challenging us."

"That's all well and good, Boss," one of the senior clansmen chimed, "But let's be realistic for a second. We're in the red, our enemies are at our doorstep and you just gave away a chunk of our property. Now you're telling us you want to take control of the village's government? No one in the village council or the village would be stupid enough to allow that."

"If I may," Gan interrupted momentarily, "My opinion may not matter to you younger members, but I believe Naruto has a fair point. This may be the one chance we have to take control of a shinobi village and, as chairman Ryouke has proven to all of us, opportunity only knocks once. We should seize the opportunity while we can."

"You're off your rocker old man," Miji remarked, earning him a smack in the back of the head from one of Gan's employees. Miji scowled at the attack on his person but understood he may have gone too far with his comment.

"So, if there are no more objections," Naruto continued, "I want everyone to keep their eyes open from now on for Jiraiya. If you find him, send a message to either me or Haku immediately. He's our only lead to the Sannin indebted to all the world's Ninkyo Dantai. If we find him, then we'll find this person. That's all I have to say for now, so if there are no more matters to discuss: you are all dismissed."

Instantaneously, everyone gathered their things and left the room, each bowing in Naruto's direction slightly before leaving. Naruto took this chance to catch Haku before he could leave, "Haku, can we talk for a second?"

"Of course, is something on your mind?"

"I'd like you to use your water clones to keep tabs on some of these guys. I want to be sure if they're planning anything behind my back," Naruto requested. Haku didn't seem even remotely surprised by Naruto's request, responding with a simple nod, "I'll take care of it."

Naruto truly appreciated Haku's friendship at times like these, and was glad to have him on his side. As the two left the meeting room, they found Gan waiting alone without his two guards, "I was hoping to catch you two on the way out. We need to talk inside your office. Alone."

They each filed into Naruto's office, where Naruto found the mountain of paperwork on his desk increased in size since the meeting started. He despaired at knowing he would have to sort through it all eventually, but reminded himself Gan had something important to discuss. Naruto set aside most of the papers on the floor, trying to make neat stacks so as to keep the papers organized. Otherwise, he would waste time trying to get everything in order. They each took their seats, Gan retrieving a flask from within his suit and taking a swig of it.

"What is it you wanted to discuss?" Haku inquired Gan, whose excess sake dripping off the side of his mouth. Once Gan emptied the flask, he put it away inside his coat and began, "I was hoping to keep this to myself because I didn't want any of the other clansmen to worry. We have enough on our plates as is. It goes without saying that a lot of people were upset with the invasion. Ever since Oto and Suna invaded, the Kuroihi remain the only group who still has its interests here in Konoha. A lot of the other organizations believe the Kuroihi helped plan the attack, and as such we've been the center of blame for a while. And in that time, every single branch of the Kuroihi has been hit. Hashi, Keitaro-boy, Yamato, Nezumi, Taichi…all of them are being attacked."

"You don't mean…"

"Yeah, it's bad," Gan murmured, "the Kuroihi is fighting a war at the moment and looks like everyone wants a piece of us."

"How do you know all this, Gan?" Naruto leaned in with interest

"Because Hashi contacted me with a request for two platoons," Gan explained, "He sent me the message after an attack destroyed the entire west wing of his manor. It killed four of his men in the process. According to Hashi, if we can show the rest of the world that we can hold our clan together in Konoha, then that alone is enough to keep the situation under control. As I said before, the syndicate's stake in Konoha has always been its crown jewel."

Naruto didn't know whether to feel honored or dreadful at the revelation of the Kitsune's importance to the Kuroihi, "If that's true, why did Hashi trust me with it?"

"I don't pretend to know how Hashi thinks, Naruto," Gan explained, "But I have known him long enough to say this: he has a quality that is hard to come by in people working in our business, something that makes him very popular with everyone; even his enemies. It's his faith in those around him. Most people see it as a weakness, a shortcoming that will get him killed. However, Hashi has a good head on his shoulders. Believe me, he wouldn't have allowed you to take this position if he didn't think you were ready."

"That doesn't really answer my question," Naruto replied.

"No, it doesn't," Gan chuckled, retrieving another flask from within his coat. He took another swig of his drink, allowing some of it to spill out of his mouth as he greedily chugged every last gulp. It was Haku who commented on Gan's habit, "Maybe you shouldn't drink so much."

"Probably not," Gan hiccupped with a flushed face, "But when you get to my age and you've seen what I've seen, sake becomes your best friend, even when you lose whole hours to it. Anyway, your actions in the Land of Waves are common knowledge to everyone in the Kuroihi. Hashi wasn't too pleased that you went rogue and started your own clan, but he respected your initiative. He believes you could become a great chairman with the right guidance. Just think of this as a test; if you can keep the Kitsune together until the war is over, then you'll have earned both the clan's and the syndicate's acknowledgement as a 'true Oyabun'."

"I see," Naruto nodded, a glint of confidence showing on a small smile on his face. With a new found resolve, Naruto gleefully replied, "Okay, I won't let Hashi-sensei down!"

"That's what I was hoping to hear," Gan answered, "I'll pass the news to Hashi. Good luck to you, Naruto."

"Thank you, Gan," Naruto answered.

"I guess I should get to work on looking for Jiraiya, then," Haku bowed. He and Gan quietly departed Naruto's office. Naruto was pleased to see Hashi had such faith in him and had no intention of letting him down. His new found vigor didn't last long as he remembered the paperwork sitting at the foot of his desk. Deep down, he knew he should get started but his desire to avoid the task overpowered his guilt. As he battled inwardly over what to do next, the clock chimed to inform him the time was now two in the afternoon.

Naruto cursed at the realization of the time and bolted out the door as quickly as he could. He wasn't going to hear the end of it if he was late. It was all the more reason for Naruto to hasten himself. To anyone who was in the Kitsune Office at the time, Naruto was little more than a black and orange blur racing out the door and into the busy streets.

He arrived at the Hyuga compound shortly afterwards where he was greeted by two of the Hyuga clan's guards. While they treated him formally and welcomed him into the courtyard before the manor, Naruto could tell there was a hint of resentment in their voices. Standing at the front door into the manor was none other than Hyuga Hiashi, who coldly reprimanded Naruto, "You're late. I feel I must remind you of the importance of punctuality."

"I'm sorry," Naruto replied earnestly, "I was in a meeting."

"I don't care for excuses," Hiashi dismissed coldly, "Or for your gang's trivial concerns. If she wasn't so fond of you, your presence in my home would be unwelcome."

"That's great," Naruto responded halfheartedly, secretly already tuning out of the conversation, "May I ask where she is?"

"She is in her room and will be out to meet you shortly," Hiashi confirmed.

"With your permission, I'd like to wait inside," Naruto requested politely, despite his own feelings of animosity for the clan head. Hiashi nodded and allowed Naruto inside with a brief reminder, "You know the way to the common room. And remember, I have eyes and ears everywhere."

"I'll keep that in mind," Naruto answered, trying to hide his anxiety from the clan head. It went without saying that his relationship with the clan head showed no signs of improvement. In fact, Naruto was certain it became worse with each visit he paid to Hinata. Realistically though, it was more like Hinata inviting him over every day and him not earning the Hyuga clan's ire by accepting the invitation.

The common room was through a door at the back of the entrance hallway, where it home to low set table surrounded on all sides by pillows. Several hanging scrolls decorated the wall, each emblazoned with the symbol of the Hyuga Clan and one of four strange characters he couldn't recognize. Towards the back of the room was a large set of traditional sliding doors which ran out into the courtyard which was beautifully decorated with an arrangement of sakura trees. He took a seat and patiently waited for Hinata, passing the time by trying to decipher the strange characters on the wall scrolls but to no avail. As he gave up, he heard a knock at the door, "May I please enter?"

"Of course," Naruto answered. The door slid open to reveal Hinata's younger sister Hanabi carrying a tray with several cups and a pot of steaming tea. She stepped inside and quickly prepared the tea on the table for Naruto while explaining, "Father asked me to give you some tea."

"I see, thank you," Naruto answered graciously, receiving a cup of tea from Hanabi. Naruto was about to help himself to the tea when he noted Hanabi was staring at him intently. Her eyes spoke of eager fascination for what was before her. It unnerved Naruto and made him forget his thirst, "I'm sorry Hanabi, is there something I can do for you?"

"I was wondering why my sister is always inviting you here," Hanabi answered with a childish curiosity that Naruto found just a little too innocent to be true. Naruto's wasn't sure if Hiashi had instructed her to ask the question or if she was simply following her childish naiveté. She had to be Konohamaru's age so there was little chance she had any official ninja training. However, he could not dismiss the notion that she was merely feigning her innocence on the grounds that she was the child of the Hyuga clan head and that her refined quality was unnatural for a child her age. After some internal debate, Naruto came to a sudden realization, "Sorry Hanabi, but I don't really know."

"So then why do you always accept her invitation?" Hanabi asked.

"Because it would be rude to decline," Naruto told the small girl who seemed unconvinced. Much to Naruto's dismay, she pressed the matter, "Is it because you're scared of what father will do if you decline?"

Naruto remained silent, knowing for a fact it was a loaded question. He contemplated how he would respond all the while drinking the tea Hanabi continued to pour for him. Naruto was unable to shake the feeling of being watched, probably from Hiashi. Carefully choosing his words so as not to show weakness or earn the man's ire, Naruto said, "You're father is a good man."

"I see," Hanabi nodded, apparently finding what she was looking for, "So you do like my sister."

"Of course," Naruto answered, "She's a good, kind person. Who wouldn't like her?"

"I think you misunderstand," Hanabi explained, while Naruto put the cup of tea to his mouth, "I meant you _love_ my sister."

A spray of hot tea shot out of Naruto's mouth. He coughed uncontrollably; both surprised and annoyed at Hanabi's implication. It was a very forward, almost rude implication but an annoying one nevertheless. The fact everyone he knew reached a similar conclusion was frustrating for him. Why did everyone come to that same conclusion? Did everyone actually believe there was something going on between himself and Hinata? He really hoped it was just a cruel joke that everyone but himself was in on.

When Naruto realized Hanabi was still gazing at him with intense concentration, he was forced to reply with the first words out of his mouth, "What gives you that idea?"

"Do you not like my sister?" Hanabi interrogated passively.

"I don't like… I mean she's… it's not" Naruto caught himself mid-sentence and remembered Hiashi's earlier claim to omniscience inside the Hyuga manor. Thinking carefully over what his next words would be, Naruto slowly said, "I don't dislike your sister. I have no reason to dislike Hinata."

"That doesn't quite answer my question," Hanabi stated plainly. Naruto carefully contemplated his response but found himself at a loss. Thankfully, Hinata saved him the trouble by appearing at the door and asking, "What question?"

"Hey Hinata," Naruto greeted first, partially with the hopes of diverting the subject. Hinata wore her usual attire that day minus the hooded sweater she tended to keep on. Admittedly, Naruto felt she looked a lot cuter when she didn't wear the baggy hooded coat. Hinata took a seat across from Naruto and shyly greeted, "Hello."

Hanabi provided Hinata a cup and carefully poured some tea into it. Upon completing her task, Hanabi bowed to her elder sister and said, "Sister, I will take my leave if you wish."

"Oh… no, please, stay with us," Hinata offered her younger sibling meekly, as if she were afraid to. Hanabi frowned and answered, "Father says it's rude to impose. Excuse me."

Hanabi bowed yet again and left the room, leaving Hinata dejected. Naruto noted Hinata's somber state and bluntly asked, "Family problems?"

"A little bit," Hinata answered, "Father let me back onto the compound and allowed me to join the clan…"

She paused herself and hesitated to finish her sentence. Her gaze drifted towards the floor and refused to divert its attention away. Naruto wondered if his efforts to help Hinata be welcomed into the Hyuga were for the better. Hinata appeared gracious for Naruto's efforts to help her be welcomed into the clan again. However, Naruto couldn't deny the behavior of several of the Hyuga – the guards' concealed resentment for him and Hanabi's prying nature.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Naruto said with a calm tone. Hinata's lack of a response earned Naruto's worry, "Hinata?"

"Naruto… I'm… my family doesn't like me always inviting you here," she explained, "They think I'm bringing shame to the entire clan by allowing you onto our estate."

"So stop inviting me, Hinata," Naruto suggested plainly, "If you're clan has a problem with me coming here then I won't. I'd hate to see the clan disown you again."

"But I… can't, Naruto," Hinata replied, "Because I want you to be here. I'm probably being selfish for it but I don't care because you… fill me with confidence, Naruto. I've always admired you're determination… your sense of self-worth."

Naruto was stunned at Hinata's sudden compliments, not because they were unwanted but because they were unexpected. For the second time today, someone was praising him for his actions when he felt he had done nothing at all. Naruto tried to remain calm but he could feel the teacup shaking in his hand. To hide his unease, Naruto set the cup on the table and rested his palm on his lap. His head felt light as air, the room started spinning, and the whole world felt insignificant. Recalling Keitaro's words of wisdom, Naruto did his best to remain calm.

"When you escaped… when you fled to the… to the yakuza," Hinata continued, "I hated you. I… couldn't believe you abandoned your dream of being Hokage. That you fled to the Land of Waves to… join a bosuzoku."

Naruto didn't know where to begin with that. 'Fleeing' the village was more of loose description. 'Kidnapped' would be a more appropriate term. 'Kidnapped by shinobi and rescued by Hashi-sensei' to be exact but Naruto was certain that would take too long to explain. Yet he could not get a word in to the conversation as Hinata continued, "But then, after you killed Gatou… you made the Land of Waves better… and rescued the Bridge Builder's family..."

Naruto was surprised Hinata knew about that little tidbit. Did everyone know? Naruto took great care to make sure nothing came back to him. Then again, between the Kuroihi and the Hyuga, Naruto wondered if everyone knew about the Land of Waves. Before he could even begin to deliberate if everyone and their mother knew, Hinata continued, "I didn't understand any of it at first… but as time went on… I began to realize, Naruto… you were still the same person deep down… the same person… I…"

Hinata paused yet again, frustrating Naruto to an indiscernible degree. Truthfully, Hinata was building towards something but Naruto had no idea what that was. He wished she would just say what she wanted to say. The prospect of whatever her point could be began to eat at him. It didn't help that Hinata appeared to have lost her voice, seeing as she kept opening and closing her mouth without making a sound.

"Hinata?"

"Naruto… I," Hinata spat out. Whatever she said next turned into an inaudible mumble. Perplexed, Naruto asked, "Sorry, I couldn't hear you."

"I said I…," Hinata repeated only to have her words disappear into another whisper.

"What?"

"I said I… you," Hinata mumbled again. At least he could make out part of what she was saying.

"You what me?" Naruto leaned in closer to better hear her mumbled jargon. He couldn't anticipate that Hinata would scream it though, "I SAID I LOVE YOU!"

Naruto recoiled sharply in surprise at the volume of Hinata's voice. She confessed her love for him. Naruto was amazed at how three little words were able to leave him dumbstruck. He was the chairman of the Kitsune Clan who organized the elimination of four rival clans, a faux war with a fifth, the real estate buy out of the village, reorganized the Kitsune to be more efficient, not to mention personally assassinating several targets on his own. How did a confession of love leave him astounded?

"I've always liked you, Naruto," Hinata shyly sputtered, her face as red as a beet, "So please… don't… don't ask me to do that."

Naruto tried to wrap his mind around Hinata's words. He wondered if there was something in the tea they were both drinking. More importantly, how did he get from trying to figure out what was troubling her to a love confession? He hardly knew anything about her and he was sure the same could be said for her, yet here she was. For a moment, Naruto considered the prospect of dating Hinata. Wondering if it would work or not. His daydreaming was halted when he recalled the present 'politics'. If her family hated her daily invitations to Naruto, how would they feel about them dating? More importantly, what about his enemies? Surely, they would go after her. Granted she was the Hyuga Heiress and she was safe within the walls of the compound. She couldn't stay there forever, though. She was a kunoichi of the village. She would be going on dangerous missions all the time.

"Hinata," Naruto began quietly, "You know…"

"I know," Hinata interrupted, "You like Sakura…"

"No, it's not that," Naruto corrected quickly. He hadn't even thought about Sakura in ages. He was too busy with work to even think about romance.

"Hinata… I'm sorry, can we talk about this another time?" Naruto requested, "I have too much on my mind right now. And… I'm sorry."

"I… understand," said Hinata hesitantly, her sorrowful tone striking a cord with Naruto, "But… will you come visit tomorrow?"

"Of course," Naruto agreed quickly, finishing the cup of tea in his hand, "I should probably be going."

"Right," Hinata agreed. Naruto sat up and left, hoping to put this entirely awkward scenario behind him. He bowed towards Hinata before leaving, mostly as a sign of acknowledgement of her as opposed to her status within the clan. As he left through the main gates, he couldn't help but notice several of the Hyuga were staring him down exasperatedly. Clearly, they had all heard Hinata's sudden and loud confession. He certainly worried for Hinata's well being more than ever.

As he left the Hyuga manor, he failed to notice two figures dressed in matching black cloaks emblazoned with red clouds waited in a bar just down the street. Both figures concealed their faces beneath rice hats lined with thin strips of paper. Were it not for their substantial height differences, any passerby would be unable to discern any difference. The first was holding a cup of herbal tea while the second helped himself to a barbeque stick loaded with four meatballs covered in teriyaki sauce.

"I presume you heard that?" the smaller of the two asked.

"Who couldn't? I'm sure half of the village heard her," the taller one pointed out. After a moment's silence, the figure wondered if his partner was planning something, "Why?"

"Considering options for acquiring the target."

"It's not like he actually feels the same way, though. Right?"

"He comes here _every day_. I believe it's safe to make that assumption."

"I was under the impression we were doing this as low profile as possible."

"I never said we would," the first figure added, "But you know as well as I do that deception is one of the greatest assets of a shinobi."

"Truer words have never been said," the second finished. The two watched and waited in silence, taking their time to enjoy the meal sitting before them.

…

Hatake Kakashi sat atop the roof of his apartment complex reading the latest novel in his favorite series. It was a graphic series of novels written by one of the village's greatest ninjas. It achieved international acclaim because of its nature and, much to Kakashi's delight, a movie adaptation of the first book was in production. Some said Kakashi was of poor taste for regularly reading such a novel. Kakashi didn't mind though, as the novel had a special place in his heart and very little could tear him away from the pages.

"Hey, I see you're enjoying my book," the author's voice gleefully exclaimed from behind him. Kakashi was disappointed he could no longer enjoy the book but tore his eyes away to greet his onlooker, "I heard you declined the position of Hokage."

"I'm not really cut out for politics," Jiraiya added, "But that's not why I'm here Kakashi. Truth is, I promised the elders I would go find Tsunade and convince her to come back. She'd make a better Hokage than I ever would."

"So then why come to me?" Kakashi inquired curiously.

"Because I wanted to talk to you about Naruto," Jiraiya said, much to Kakashi's surprise, "I told them I would take him with me on my search."

"Does it have anything to do with the fox?" Kakashi inquired curiously, "It did get loose during the invasion?"

"Yes," Jiraiya confirmed, "I need time to examine the seal and make sure it's still in place. What's more, I'm afraid my travels have led me to an organization referring to themselves as 'Akatsuki'. I don't know much about them. But I do know they want the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. That's the other reason I'm taking Naruto. I want to teach him some techniques to defend himself. Unfortunately two of them arrived in the village a little while after the invasion. I'm sure they were hoping to abduct him amidst all the confusion but, for whatever reason, they chose not to. They're under the impression no one has noticed their presence, but they still maintain a relatively low profile and have been keeping an eye on Naruto since they arrived."

"So you want a diversion so you can get Naruto out of the village," Kakashi stated more than asked, "What exactly am I dealing with?"

"I don't know anything about one of them, but I know one thing for certain. Itachi is the other," Jiraiya said grimly.

"I see," Kakashi frowned. There were few times in Kakashi's life where he was uncertain of his own abilities. This was one of those few times. He wasn't exactly sure if his own abilities were up to par against Itachi's. If there was another one and they were of similar strength, it would be trouble. Kakashi sighed and agreed, "Okay, I'll get some help. You can count on me to buy you some time."

"Thank you, Kakashi," Jiraiya said, "I'll be seeing him tomorrow. I have to give him the Third's parting gift."

"Parting gift?"

"I'm kind of surprised too," Jiraiya added, "Enma – his monkey summon – said the old man wanted Naruto to have something. A sword he took from Orochimaru in his final moments: the Kusanagi."

…

The following day proceeded slowly for Naruto. Since he woke up at eight that morning, he asked his secretary to cancel any appointments and dismiss any visitors so he could sort through the mountain of paperwork that continued to build on his desk. He was finally able to clear the first of ten stacks in two hours time. Unfortunately, in that time, three more stacks had appeared. The majority were all status reports from outlying sentries, toll road managers, spies, associates, and bookkeepers. Several were written requests for money, protection, favors and other miscellaneous matters which Naruto would not have imagined fathomable. All of them, Naruto could breeze through in under a minute.

The papers which took the longest were financing statements, which Naruto could make neither heads nor tails of. He wasn't bad at math; he simply had a hard time with taxes, interest rates, gross year over year growth, fiscal quarters and whatever else the papers threw his way. In his efforts to decipher these papers, he came to believe accountants made these numbers up so that people would have a need for them. He had no one to blame but himself though, since Miji's current injuries prevented him from doing the paper works himself.

From what he could read, it appeared the Kuroihi were finally making a profit, however small it was. The majority of that profit was coming from Gan's operations with his private security contractor. His business was probably profiting from Konoha's own hindered services at the moment. Naruto didn't care if that Konoha was being run into the ground as it meant it would be easier for him to take later.

He took that chance to glance at the clock. At ten minutes to twelve, Naruto recalled not having breakfast that morning so he decided to stop for now and buy a nice steaming bowl of Ichiraku Ramen. As he prepared to leave, a knock resounded off his door at what was considerably the worst time possible. The door opened a crack for his secretary to poke her head through, "Um…Boss…there's an important guest here to see you."

"I'm busy," Naruto said plainly, "Can you ask him or her to come back tomorrow?"

"I'm sorry, Boss Kitsune. But he refused to take no for an answer," she pleaded. Naruto massaged his temples and stared at her in disbelief, "Who is it?"

"The Legendary Toad Sage Jiraiya," Jiraiya introduced himself, pushing the door open and striking the strangest pose Naruto had ever seen, "How are you doing buddy?"

"What's this about? I thought you never wanted to see me again," Naruto asked impatiently, trying to conceal the famished groans from his stomach. Admittedly, he had mixed feelings about Jiraiya's arrival. It was a nuisance since it would prolong Naruto from eating but fortunate for him since he wouldn't have to continue looking for the man. Jiraiya frowned, "I'm going on a little trip and I was hoping I could count on somebody to be my personal body guard along the way."

Naruto examined Jiraiya carefully, looking for some sign of an ulterior motive. However, Jiraiya's already bizarre personality made it hard to tell a nervous twitch apart from a normal tick. He momentarily considered the possibility of declining but eventually relented as the clan desperately needed him. He was the only lead they, "I'll arrange for someone to personally escort you, but you know our services have a fee."

"Oh, I don't want just anybody," Jiraiya added slyly, "I'd like you to be the one to escort me. Think about it! Two young guys like us, off having a fun old time!"

Naruto already didn't like the sound of things. Jiraiya barged into his office and demanded Naruto escort him on some random adventure. He wouldn't put it past the pervert to be stupid enough to do that but something didn't sit right. The clan council would appreciate it if he personally accompanied Jiraiya on this suicide mission. They probably wouldn't given they weren't too keen on Naruto's plan in the first place. He would need a minute to discuss the matter personally with Jiraiya and dismissed his secretary, "Mind the front. Jiraiya and I have to talk."

"Yes sir," she bowed and closed the door behind her. Naruto offered Jiraiya a seat and got up from behind his desk, "Why do you want me exactly?"

"Why not? Who wouldn't want the chance to be my personal bodyguard?" Jiraiya asked childishly, in a tone that creeped him out.

"Cut the crap," Naruto scowled at the old man, "You told me you never wanted to see me again. Now you're in here asking me to personally escort you. What are you really after?"

"Alright. The truth is I need to inspect that seal on you," Jiraiya explained point at Naruto's stomach which growled hungrily at that instant, "Ever since the invasion, the village council has been afraid that the seal may break."

"What seal?" Naruto demanded from the old pervert, uncertain of any seal on his person. At least, not one he was aware of. Jiraiya groaned, "I guess no one has told you yet. When you were younger, the Nine Tailed Demon Fox was sealed inside of you. You may not have noticed but there were a lot of chakra bursts coming from the seal recently. I need to make sure the seal is still in working order."

"Oh… the fox," Naruto repeated quietly. As he recalled, every one of the villagers knew about its presence long before he did, "How do I know this isn't a trap?"

"It isn't," Jiraiya promised, "But we need to be as far from the village as possible when I check the seal. If something goes wrong, it would be bad for the Kyubi to get loose in the middle of the village."

"It still sounds like a trap," Naruto replied, "If I'm going, then I have two conditions: First, I want someone I trust to go as well."

"Who did you have in mind?"

"Haku. He's a good friend of mine, and there's no one else I would trust," Naruto answered, "My other condition is that you have to help us find one of your fellow Sannin. The Legendary Lollipop…or was it Sucker? In any case, she owes us a lot of money and we're looking to collect."

"Okay, it's a deal," Jiraiya replied hastily. Naruto didn't like how eager Jiraiya was to get Naruto to agree, "How long will this take?"

"A few days. Two weeks at the most," Jiraiya explained, "After that, we can put this whole thing behind us."

"Of course," Naruto agreed. Jiraiya got up from his chair and made to leave but stopped at the door, "Oh, by the way, I have a little gift for you."

It was then that Naruto took noticed of a long sword wrapped around Jiraiya's waist where the scroll he carried around used to be. Jiraiya untied the sword from his waste and presented it to Naruto, "It's a gift from the Third. His instructions were to give this to you."

"What is it?" Naruto asked, admiring the design of the katana carefully. At first glance it looked like any other katana. The handle was sewn together with what appeared to be snake skin, the hilt being made of pure gold. At the tip of the handle, where the blade began, was a large emerald glimmering brightly despite the dim room. Jiraiya held the katana in both hands and offered it to Naruto, "It has several names but the one you'll be most familiar with is: Kusanagi. The Third wanted you to have it."

Naruto took the sword in his hands with a firm grip and examined it carefully, "Kusanagi. Thank you."

"Well, I'll be on my way," Jiraiya said, "We're leaving tomorrow afternoon, so be ready then. I'll come get you and your friend, and then we'll leave."

With that he left Naruto to admire the katana. It was very beautiful to the eye, so beautiful that Naruto couldn't see himself using it for anything. As amazing as a gift it was, Naruto would prefer to use _Kitsune_ in combat. He simply preferred _Kitsune_ as a weapon. After he was done admiring the new katana, he went up to his room and retrieved Kitsune. He tied both weapons to his belt and spoke with his secretary, "If you see Haku, ask him to pack some things for tomorrow because we'll be escorting a client. Then send a message to Gan. Ask him to take charge for a while until we get back."

"Yes sir," his secretary nodded. Afterwards, he went to lunch at Ichiraku where he had a simple meal of miso ramen with beef. Once he was full, he went to the Hyuga Manor for his regular visit with Hinata. Much like the day before, he found many of the Hyuga's glaring at him. Naruto fathomed it was related to Hinata's vocal confession yesterday, and wouldn't be surprised if Hiashi tried to kill him where he stood.

He ignored their piercing eyes and proceeded into the common room where he found Hinata with Sakura and Sasuke. Hinata was seated on one side of the table, with Sasuke and Sakura opposite each other. Hinata was the first to notice Naruto's presence and sheepishly greeted, "Hello…Naruto."

"Hey," Sakura greeted with disinterest while Sasuke merely grunted.

"Hello," he greeted as he took a seat across from Hinata, "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No, we were…just having tea," Hanabi explained quietly. She poured a cup of tea for Naruto and offered it to him, "Please."

"Thank you," Naruto accepted the cup and took a drink, trying his best to ignore Hinata's gaze on him.

"Is that…a new sword?" Hinata asked, pointing at the katana. Naruto nodded, "Yeah. Jiraiya gave it to me. He said the Third Hokage wanted me to have it."

"The Third Hokage wanted you to have that?" Sasuke asked quietly. Naruto shrugged, "I guess. Honestly, I don't trust a word Jiraiya says. The guy's a perverted old freak."

"Jiraiya?"

"He's one of the Sannin, or so he says," Naruto explained. He unsheathed the katana from its scabbard and showed it to Hinata, "He said its name was Kusanagi."

"Kusanagi," Hanabi repeated, "I've heard that name before."

"Yeah," Naruto replaced the katana in its scabbard and took another drink of tea, "Listen Hinata, there's something I have to tell you."

"Really?" Hinata said hopefully. Naruto knew well what she was hoping to hear and took no joy in disappointing her, "Tomorrow, Haku and I will be escorting Jiraiya on some trip he's making. It will take a few days so I won't be able to visit for a while."

Hinata was saddened by Naruto's news. Naruto really wanted to give her an answer to her confession, but he wasn't exactly certain how he felt about her. The fact that everyone seemed to think they liked each other wasn't helping either. In the hope of making her smile, he said, "Hinata, about what you said yesterday. I'm sorry I didn't have an answer then, but I promise I'll have an answer for you once I come back."

"Okay," Hinata smiled weakly. Sakura and Sasuke exchanged confused glances, before Sakura asked, "An answer to what?"

"No…nothing," Hinata said loudly, casting a weary glance at Naruto. Naruto took the hint and understood Hinata was still embarrassed about the whole thing. He didn't blame her, though. Half of the neighborhood must have heard her loud confession. Truthfully, Naruto wasn't sure he would have an answer for her. He made a promise though, and he always kept his promises.

…

**Author's Note: **Hey folks. That's one more chapter over and done with. My next update will be in eight weeks on Friday, September 10th. If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on the Facebook or Playstation Network (PSN ID leo11235). Don't forget to check out my Resistance Sample. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	37. The Return of Uchiha Itachi

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as an animated series by Viz Media. The Art of War is a widely published text originally written Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicates, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Note: **Hey folks, this is your friendly neighborhood leonardo1123581321 sending friendly greetings and howdidoos. Thanks for the patience with the development of this chapter, I know it took a little longer than normal to post. In my defense, I became excessively busy once the school year rolled in. I've been getting a lot of questions regarding the Akatsuki and the Hashi situation. I will say some of the loose ends will start to be tied up, but a good story always takes its time and lets the events unfold naturally. I hope you enjoy the story. And special thanks goes out to Kells for proofreading my chapters for me. And now on to some review responses:

**Geoff: **While I respect your opinions, I take it you're not really familiar with much of Naruto career in Shippuden. The general idea is there were a lot of unseen motives and actions during the first part of Naruto, and not everything was as it seemed. So while you're entitled to your opinions, I ask you continue to read with an open mind.

**Shadow-Sensei: **Konichiwa, Shadow-tono. Much respect to you for sticking through this story for so long. I apologize for the long gaps between updates but I really need the time to work on these stories so I can flesh them out enough. Orochimaru has some plans for Naruto, although I won't say what. Needless to say, there are a lot of plot points in this story I'm not touching on. I do intend to resolve most of them. I won't say much about anything else. Anyway, thanks for always reading and I'm happy to see you've stuck with me up to this point.

**Broken Sexed Up Bloody Kitten: **It will have an ending. Much like The Godfather and my Resistation: Isolation doujinshi at deviantart, the ending will be bittersweet. I'll leave it up to you to decide what that means.

**all forms of fluff: **Actually, to answer your question in order: Yes, Gama will play a bigger role in the future but I won't say how far along, the Hana matter will be resolved in the coming chapters, and Naruto will never learn the Shadow Clone technique. Ultimately, Naruto is not a shinobi and has a lot of friction between him self and the village shinobi as you can guess. Needless to say, he doesn't have much inclination to pursue any shinobi techniques. As for his ascension into leadership, I'll share a secret with you: I intended this story to parallel The Godfather and The Sicilian in that the main character was a tragic hero. I won't say how he's a tragic hero, but he is.

**Earthdude: **Wait no more for I provide!

And so, without further ado, I present the continuation of Oyabun:

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 37: The Return of Uchiha Itachi**

Homura and Koharu were the elderly advisors to the late Third Hokage. Although they showed no sign to the contrary, both were greatly devastated at the loss of their old friend. Unfortunately, it was their burden as council members to maintain a calm and careful attitude at a time of great instability in the Leaf Village. In their time of need, the local yakuza decided to start buying properties at a time when the villagers were desperate for whatever they could get. The entire village was looking to the council for guidance, which the council was hoping to place on the shoulders of whoever they named Hokage.

Unfortunately, infighting and directionless debates did not make their job any easier. The one man the council was able to unanimously name declined the position, claiming he wasn't suited for the title. Instead, he offered to go find someone more fitting – his old teammate and fellow Sannin Tsunade. It was a fool's errand as decreed by many, since no one had ever been able to find her since she abandoned the village. However, the man assured them he would find her.

The two of them departed from another lengthy meeting, both frustrated at how little was accomplished. As they left the council room deep inside the Hokage's Tower, they heard the estranged greetings of an old associate from behind them, "Koharu. Homura. May I have a moment of your time?"

"What is it now?" Homura asked tiredly, her voice doing little to conceal her disdain. The man who spoke to them was Danzo, a tyrant in his own right. Danzo was always at odds with the Third Hokage, believing the only way to achieve peace was through military dominance over the other villages. Danzo wasted no time with the old council members, "I want you two to cast votes for me as the next Hokage during the next meeting. We all know this is the only way to resolve this issue."

"No," Homura said plainly, "The village needs a leader, Danzo. Not a warmonger. The Sand Village already signed a peace treaty and a reparations doctrine that they have followed through with. The last thing we need is for you to stir up a fire that's already been extinguished."

"You don't seem to realize the position we're in," Danzo grunted, "The village is weak. Sarutobi's life philosophy on the 'Will of Fire' and his own compassion are what brought us to this state. The village needs change, now more than ever."

"No, you want change," Koharu accused, "Now if there's nothing else, I'll be leaving."

Koharu turned to leave, but stopped in her tracks when she took notice of a man in a black cloak standing at the end of the hallway. The man concealed his face beneath a rice hat, making identification impossible. He must have been a man of considerable prowess to be able to sneak up on three of the village's oldest and more powerful shinobi. With a stern face, Koharu asked, "Who are you?"

The man lifted his rice hat and revealed his face. A swift glance into his eyes told her all she needed to know, "Itachi."

"Why are you here?" Danzo demanded furiously. Itachi frowned, "I just came to remind you of our deal, the one I made with the Third that day."

"How could I forget?" Danzo stated bitterly. Itachi locked eyes with Danzo and forced the old man to stumble backwards. Koharu and Homura saw the look of fear in Danzo, understanding all too well what Itachi was capable of, "I wanted you to know I haven't forgotten the orders I received that day, along with the other secrets this village holds."

"You wouldn't," Homura growled bitterly at Itachi, unable to conceal his own worry. Itachi frowned, "Nothing means more to me than the terms of our deal. The Third may have died but I still expect all three of you to carry through. If you break our deal, then-"

"We get it! We'll honor Sarutobi's deal," Homura grunted. Itachi observed the village elders carefully, scanning for some sincerity in Homura's response. After a moment's silence, he nodded in satisfaction, "Good. I'll be leaving now. Danzo, I know you'll order your men to kill me while I leave so I must advise you otherwise. I'm sure I don't have to though. You and I both know superior numbers don't win a battle."

"I know," Danzo murmured. A black raven emerged from Itachi's shoulder and flew away, cawing loudly as it broke a window and flew away. Another emerged from his arm, and a third from his back; both following the first raven. Itachi's entire body transformed into a flock of ravens that scattered around the hallway before fleeing out the open window and into the village. Right away, two chunin appeared around the corner, "What happened? We heard a window break!"

"Nothing happened," Homura said, "A stray bird got in and broke the window."

"A stray bird?" one of the chunin repeated stupidly, looking at his partner for an explanation.

…

In another part of the village, Naruto, Haku, and Gan were waiting patiently in his office for Jiraiya's arrival. Both of their bags were lying at foot of his desk along with both of Naruto's katana, Haku waiting patiently beside them with Zabuza's sword held in reverence between his hands. He used a wipe to polish Zabuza's sword, pausing regularly to admire it carefully. Naruto wondered if Haku ever actually used the sword since he always carried it around with him. Gan sat across from Naruto, in one of his office chairs fiddling with a tiny wooden puppet, using threads of chakra to make it dance around in a circle. Naruto examined the clock, believing the old pervert was wasting both Haku's and his time. Naruto passed the time by catching up on all the paperwork he missed.

Reading through the files, he noted that Suna signed a truce with Konoha. The truce apparently encouraged more business along the toll roads between Konoha and Suna although some people were nervous because of the political tension between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind. Revenue was coming in, a welcome reprieve from the dangerous line between red and black that the clan had been walking since the attack. Unfortunately, all the numbers were making his head hurt so Naruto couldn't tell how much the clan was profiting.

A knock at the door took his attention away from the papers. It was the secretary who opened the door, "Boss Kitsune, Jiraiya is here to see you."

"Let him in," Naruto waved, pushing the papers off to the side of his desk and getting off his seat. He took his backpack in his arms and slung it over his shoulder just as Jiraiya appeared through the door, "Hey! Are you ready to set off on our grand adventure?"

Naruto tied both of his katana around his belt, both of them on the left with _Kitsune _just above _Kusanagi_, "As I'll ever be…"

"Good! Let's get going!" Jiraiya cheered happily, patting Naruto on the back. Naruto rolled his eyes and reminded Gan, "Take care of things until we get back, okay?"

"Of course," Gan nodded, controlling his little puppet to bow for him. Naruto waved at the clan elder and followed Jiraiya out of the office. They traveled through the village quietly, with Haku slightly behind them. Once they were out of the village gates, Naruto slowed his pace until he was walking beside Haku. He preferred to be beside Haku over Jiraiya, if only because he wasn't fond of the old pervert. Jiraiya didn't like Naruto's sudden drop in pace, "Hey! You're supposed to be escorting me, remember?"

"I remember," Naruto sighed, "Haku, keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't try anything funny."

Haku nodded, and Naruto caught up with Jiraiya. Naruto kept a hand on _Kitsune_ and one eye on Jiraiya in case the old pervert had other plans. Naruto reminded himself the job was simply to escort Jiraiya so he could inspect the seal holding the demon fox and find the Legendary Sucker. Hopefully, it wouldn't take any longer than Jiraiya estimated.

…

As part of her daily ritual, Hinata walked around the village after completing her afternoon training. She would walk around aimlessly for hours at a time, stopping only to pick up any groceries that came to her mind. Today was a little different; Sasuke decided to escort her during her walk, something she didn't entirely mind too much. She welcomed anything that could distract her from her thoughts: her embarrassment regarding her rather vocal confession to Naruto. She hoped it wasn't the reason he was suddenly leaving the village on an escort mission.

Her father rebuked her for declaring any sort of affection for a crime lord. She apologized and begged him not to disown her from the clan again, especially after she was only recently allowed back into the clan estate. Her father calmly said he wouldn't because of an arrangement he made, but also instructed her to never do _that _again. Hinata was unsure what he meant by 'that': did he mean to never be so vocal about her feelings or did he not want her to see Naruto again? Whatever he meant, it left her quite distressed.

Just ahead of them, Hinata caught sight of Kakashi outside a teashop with two of his colleagues: a grizzled jonin with a goatee and a beautiful woman dressed in what appeared to be bandages: Asuma and Kurenai Kakashi saw the two of them from afar and greeted, "Hey you two. You seem to spend a lot of time together as well."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sasuke grunted. Hinata looked from Sasuke to Kurenai to Asuma, hoping one of them could explain what Kakashi meant. Asuma chose that particular moment to clear his throat with a strong cough, "Kurenai and I should be going, Kakashi, kids."

Asuma pocketed his hands and walked away into the busy streets of Konoha with Kurenai beside him. Hinata was even more confused than before, looking at Sasuke for some sort of hint but found him gazing away at the tea shop dumbfounded. He narrowed his eyes and added, "It can't be…"

"Sasuke?" Kakashi inquired the boy curiously, folding his arms across his chest. Sasuke closed his eyes and took a long exhale, "Nothing. I thought I saw something."

"If you say so," Kakashi answered indifferently, "I need to be going too. You two have fun, but not in that way."

Before Hinata could ask what just happened, Kakashi disappeared. Hinata was now annoyed with the turn of events, particularly because no one seemed bothered to explain what just happened. It was so stupid; Hinata completely forgot what she was originally doing beforehand. Hinata looked at Sasuke for some clue and recalled she had been taking a walk around the village. As she started walking again, she noted Sasuke was not following her. She stopped in her tracks momentarily and looked back at him, "Sasuke?"

"I think I'll call it a day, Hinata," Sasuke commented, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Right, bye," Hinata waved to her teammate. The two of them parted ways after that. Hinata's mind lingered on the event, wondering what exactly she just bore witness to.

…

Jiraiya led them off the main road, deep into the forest. Naruto kept a hand on his katana at all times, nervously watching the old pervert hum quietly to himself. After about an hour of trekking through untouched forest, they came across a small clearing inhabited only an old tree stump and some overgrown grass. Jiraiya dropped all of his bags at the point, "This will do just nicely. Naruto, I need you to take off your shirt so I can inspect the seal."

Naruto looked back at Haku for some assurance, hoping he wasn't going to fall prey to some perverted fantasy of Jiraiya. Haku nodded at Naruto and put a hand on Zabuza's sword. That was enough assurance for Naruto. He set down his bag and stripped himself of his coat and dress shirt. Shirtless, Naruto sat down on the stump and waited for Jiraiya to do whatever it was he was going to do.

Jiraiya cracked his knuckles and stretched before continuing, "Alright. Now sit up straight and start molding some chakra."

Once again uncertain of Jiraiya's intentions, Naruto crossed his legs and folded his hands. Recalling his tree climbing exercises, Naruto concentrated his chakra into his feet and fought the rising pain in his temples. As he did this, he felt Jiraiya place a hand on his stomach and start mumbling to himself. Fearing Jiraiya was about to enact some exotic fantasy, the blonde clan leader kicked away the elder sage, "What do you think you're doing!"

"Calm down kid, I was just inspecting the seal," Jiraiya answered. He pointed a finger at his stomach, which Naruto followed to find a strange pattern of markings centered around his belly button, "That's the seal the Fourth used to seal the Kyubi inside you."

"Why were you touching it?" Naruto demanded. The sage sighed and sarcastically responded, "Don't get too excited kid, you're not that pretty. I was just trying to get a sense of the chakra flow."

"Gee, thanks," Naruto sneered. He resumed his position on the log stump, folded his hands and crossed his legs. He gave the perverted hermit a warning look and nodded at Haku "Make sure he doesn't try anything."

"I won't," Jiraiya reassured Naruto. Naruto remained cautious of the perverted old man but resumed his chakra molding. The head pains resumed, but Naruto continued to focus his chakra while the old man ran his hands along Naruto's stomach. He listened intently to Jiraiya's whispers as the sage worked, "A Shiki Fujin… leave it to… and an Eight Trigrams Seal… it allows access to the demon's chakra but… Hmm…"

Jiraiya's musings were becoming annoying and Naruto was growing dizzy from molding his chakra, clear evidence that he was no longer in the same condition he used to be in. The last thing Naruto wanted was to fall unconscious around Jiraiya. Before Naruto could urge the old man to hurry up, Jiraiya clapped his hands together, "Okay, I think I've figured it out."

"Okay, care to explain?" Naruto groaned, ceasing his chakra molding and grabbing onto the stump with his arm to keep himself from falling over. Dazed and slightly disoriented, Naruto managed to retain enough energy to hear Jiraiya's explanation, "The seal is set so small amounts of the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra is filtered into your own chakra. This allows you access to a fraction of its chakra without the adverse effects which come with hosting a demon. Therein lies the problem, because the small trickle of chakra is slowly weakening the seal to the point of leaking. From what I understand, this is due in part to heightened emotional states which the Kyubi's power is known to draw from."

"Okay," Naruto nodded. It was mostly a gesture for show because Naruto didn't understand the first thing about any of it. Jiraiya bought into his lie and continued, "So, short of you becoming emotionally dead, the band aid solution would be to slow down the flow of chakra through the seal which will decrease the rate of the seal's decay. However, the seal will simply continue to degrade until the Nine Tailed Fox's chakra overwhelms it. Because of that, I will need to redo the seal. You won't be able to draw on as much chakra, but at least the fox won't get loose."

_**Don't let him touch the seal, **_the Nine Tailed Fox's voice roared in his head, _**You need my strength, it is of greater value than anything he has to offer!**_ It was the first time the fox had spoken to him since the attack on the village. It also raised a fair point, Naruto needed access to the Kyubi's chakra and there was no need to spoil a good thing, "What happens if I don't want the seal to be repaired."

"The fox's chakra will burst out of you," Jiraiya answered seriously, "The intensity of the chakra will overwhelm your body, tearing you to pieces. The Kitsune will escape and wreak destruction upon everything it sees."

"That would be very bad," Naruto commented quietly, ignoring the Kyubi's enraged howl, _**Do not let him near the seal! You need me!**_

"No duh," Jiraiya added, "This will only take a minute."

Jiraiya rolled up his sleeve and performed an elaborate set of hand signs. Black lines drew themselves on his arm, tracing all the way up to his palm and fingers were small flickers of blue chakra emanated. Naruto watched as Jiraiya wring out his right hand and added, "Now, stay perfectly still."

Naruto did just that and immediately regretted it. Jiraiya slammed his palm against Naruto's stomach with all the force of a waterfall, his fingers digging into his skin. Jiraiya twisted his palm, a surge of pain flying up his body and sending shivers down his spine. _**NO-o!**_, the fox's cry rang in his head before slowly fading away into nothing. Naruto fell backwards off the stump, Haku immediately rushing to his side and helped Naruto up. Catching his breath, Naruto demanded, "What was that?"

"Relax," Jiraiya offered, "It was a special jutsu that mended the seal. You should be fine now."

"That was a key," Haku commented calmly, "Seals are usually designed to have a specialized key. The two can only work on each other. Forgive my curiosity, but where did you acquire that key?"

"It's not important," Jiraiya dismissed the question with a wave, "Put your shirt back on kid. We're running late."

Naruto was already ahead of Jiraiya, busy tucking his orange dress shirt back into place in his pants. As he busied himself with his coat, he demanded, "I'd say it's pretty important. The Nine Tails told me the Fourth Hokage sealed him inside me. That means he's the one who made the seal, and the one who made the key. How did you get it?"

"You should know better than to trust a demon," Jiraiya countered, "They're demons. They lie, especially Kitsune spirits. They're famous for playing tricks on those foolish enough to fall for them. Now come on. We've still got a long way to go."

Naruto threw his backpack around his shoulders and looked at Haku, he returned his confused look. Naruto was a bit annoyed that he had listened to the fox up to this point in time. He should have considered the possibility that a demon fox was playing games with his head. Thankfully, there were no serious repercussions for the time being which meant the fox had been stopped before anything serious happened.

…

Confused and annoyed, Sasuke moaned his displeasure at having wasted his time following the Jounin instructors. Even if he was maintaining a low profile, they were far ahead of him in skill and could very easily lose him in a crowded area. He did try to employ his sharingan to counter any ninjutsu or genjutsu they tried to lose him, and even then they still managed to get away. Sasuke wasn't even sure why he was following them.

Despite all evidence to the contrary, there was no way he could have seen what he thought he saw in that tea shop. It was a pair of familiar red eyes gazing at him from beneath a rice hat, before disappearing into thin air. Sasuke momentarily suspected that it was his brother Itachi, the man who single handedly wiped out the entire Uchiha Clan with the exception of Sasuke. At the time, Itachi claimed Sasuke was merely too pathetic to kill and mocked him for it, urging the boy to run like a coward until he could face Itachi.

Sasuke spited his brother for his unforgivable actions that night. An entire clan, made of some of the most elite ninja in the village, wiped out in a single night by a teenaged-boy who merely wanted to "_test_" his power. Before Itachi rendered Sasuke unconscious, Sasuke swore he saw tears in his brother's eyes but was certain it had simply been his imagination. A fleeting thought Sasuke readily dimissed because of the brash nature of the greater inhumanity that occurred.

Since that day, Sasuke trained himself for the day he would avenge his clan. It was a day that couldn't come soon enough for Sasuke. He didn't care what it took.

As Sasuke prepared to head back to his home, he noticed Asuma and Kurenai race in front of him with Gai in tow carrying a limp Kakashi on his back. A chunin was with them bombarding them with questions as they ran on, "Is it true? Was Uchiha Itachi the one who did this?"

"Not so loud!" Asuma reprimanded the chunin, "We need to set up a perimeter to keep him from escaping."

Those words were more than enough for Sasuke. The world around him disappeared into a blur as he took off after them, wanting nothing more than to know just where his older brother was going. He chased after them all the way to the hospital, just barely able to keep pace with the jonins. He followed them insider where he found several medics attending to Kakashi, while Gai, Asuma, and Kurenai were talking quietly to each other. Asuma took notice of Sasuke's arrival and greeted the boy, "Hello, Sasuke."

"Where's Itachi!" Sasuke demanded, wasting no time with small talk. Asuma's eyes widened in surprise but he quickly regained his composure and coughed, "Sasuke, I know how you feel about this. But this is no time to lose your head."

"I'm not playing games! Where is he?" Sasuke growled. Asuma blinked once, lighting a cigarette and throwing it into his mouth, "I'm sorry Sasuke, but-"

"Asuma!" a jonin appeared around the corner and slid to a stop beside Kurenai and Gai, "Did Uchiha Itachi really return? And is he really after Uzumaki Naruto?"

Kurenai and Gai shot the jonin dirty looks, scaring the jonin into taking a step back, "What?"

"Idiot," Kurenai muttered, looking at Sasuke. The jonin followed Kurenai's gaze and immediately slapped himself in the head. Sasuke didn't know or care what happened after that since he was already racing out the door. Itachi was here, and he was after Naruto. As Sasuke recalled, Naruto was supposed to leave today with Master Jiraiya on some escort mission. Sasuke raced straight past the main gate and out of the village. His heart pounded in his ears, his legs pushing faster and faster towards his goal: his chance to avenge his clan.

…

Naruto cracked a bored yawn and stretched his arms over his head. He normally wasn't one for enjoying the view or sounds of nature, but he preferred this to pouring over mountains of documents. Naruto cracked his knuckles together and looked over his shoulder at Haku. Haku's eyes were closed with a faint smile on his face, clearly enjoying the offerings of nature. Naruto didn't want to disturb Haku, but still wanted some way to entertain himself, so he drew his katana from its scabbard and began to spin it in his hands. It was fun for a while, until Naruto lost his grip and the sword flew out of his hand and towards Haku. Haku caught the katana between his fingers, not even flinching at the katana flying towards him.

"It's probably not a good time to play with sharp objects," Haku placidly remarked passed the katana back to him. Naruto apologized and replaced the katana back in his scabbard. Effectively bored once again, Naruto groaned at Jiraiya, "Hey, how far are we from our destination?"

"We're going to stop at a nearby village that's about an hour ahead," Jiraiya answered, "It's a nice little tourist's spot that's famous for its spas. We'll stop there for the night while I try to dig up some information on Tsunade."

Naruto didn't hesitate to bemoan his despair at the prospect. Jiraiya simply stretched and offered, "It's got to be better than sitting in that office all day."

The boy couldn't argue against Jiraiya's logic, and resigned himself to enjoying the wonders of nature. To say the trip to the next village was uneventful was an understatement in Naruto's opinion. When they arrived at the village, they proceeded towards a nearby inn Jiraiya claimed to have stayed at previously. Compared to the other inns they passed on the way to this particular inn, Naruto could say it was nothing special. The wooden floors of the lobby were covered in a thin layer of dirt that managed to find its way through the soles of his shoe and into his socks. Small drops of what he hoped was water dripped from the ceiling onto several buckets scattered across the floor. A young woman sat behind a particularly dusty counter, wiping away at it carelessly with an even dirtier rag. A smile lit up her face as soon as Jiraiya walked in and she immediately put the rag down to give Jiraiya a hug, "Master Jiraiya!"

"Hey, hey! How have you been?" Jiraiya returned the hug. At that moment, Naruto understood why Jiraiya chose to stay in such a ramshackle inn. The proprietor of the business had a backbreaking breast size, the kind most men could only dream of. Even Naruto found himself unable to look away from her "assets". Once she pulled away from the hug, the woman answered, "I'm doing great! Business is kind of slow but that's okay because you're here! So who are your friends?"

"These are Naruto and Haku," Jiraiya pointed at them, "If it's alright with you, we'd like to stay for a day or two."

"Okay, let me go get the check-in book," the woman cheerfully said. She ran behind the counter and retrieved a large leather bound book that hit the counter with a loud thump. She propped the book open up to the first several pages and slid it in Jiraiya's direction, "Just sign in and I'll show you boys to your room."

"Alrighty then," Jiraiya smiled, leaning over to sign the check in book. From his angle, Naruto noticed Jiraiya received an exceptionally good view of the woman's bust. Naruto tried to point this out to the woman, but was silenced by a sudden and stealthy kick to his abdomen by Jiraiya. Naruto recoiled down with his hands wrapped around his gut. The woman took notice of Naruto clutching at his stomach and asked, "Hey, are you alright?"

"He's fine," Jiraiya nodded, "He just has a stomach ache, right Naruto?"

"Right," Naruto agreed, annoyed that the self-proclaimed Toad Sage would use his abilities for his perverted pursuits. He really shouldn't have been surprised, but it was frustrating all the same. Naruto went to sign his name in next and stepped aside for Haku to do the same.

The woman put the check-in book away and led their group to the first room inside the inn, "This should do. It's the best room we have, I hope that's alright."

"It'll do just fine," Jiraiya said, patting their hostess on the back. Jiraiya threw his bag onto a pile of futons folded up in a corner of the room, "Say, I'm going off to get a drink. Do you want to tag along?"

"Master Jiraiya! You're so forward!" she teased with a flushed face, "Sorry, but I have to mind the inn."

"Of course," Jiraiya smiled awkwardly, "Well, I'll be off. Behave yourselves, you two. I'm going to go do some research."

"I thought you were going to look for information on Tsunade," Naruto asked the Toad Sage. Jiraiya answered with an innocent look, "Isn't that what I said?"

"For you, research usually involves peeping on the local baths," Naruto remarked sarcastically, folding his arms across his chest. Jiraiya nudged him sharply in the chest and laughed, "This kid! Always joking! Right Naruto?"

Jiraiya wrapped his arm around Naruto's head and pulled him into a headlock. Naruto struggled against Jiraiya's hold to little avail and waved his hand in Haku's direction for help. Haku took the cue and patted Jiraiya's shoulder, "Master Jiraiya, maybe you should go get those drinks now."

"You're right," Jiraiya smiled, releasing Naruto to stretch his arms. Naruto massaged his neck vigorously, watching with mild amusement as Jiraiya winked at their hostess, "Well, I'll see you all later tonight. I'll be at my usually place if you feel like stopping by later tonight."

"Master Jiraiya," the hostess swooned. Jiraiya left with a cocky smile with the hostess shortly after him. Once they're out of earshot, Naruto leaned towards Haku and instructed, "Haku, we should probably go look up some information on Tsunade ourselves. The old man will probably drink himself stupid before he finds anything useful."

"I agree," Haku nodded, "We should start in the gambling district. We're bound to find out something there."

"Right, now we just need to find the gambling district," Naruto added. They headed out as well, finding their hostess busy sweeping the floor uselessly. It didn't take them long to find that particular ward of the small town. In fact, the gambling area was the largest area in the town and was the real draw of the village's tourism. The entire district consisted of a single road lined with many storefronts: bakeries, noodle shops, festival games, grocers, fruit stands, jewelry and clothing stores, and so on in that manner. All of them apparently housed their own operation: from games of dice, shogi, go, bettings on local tournaments, and standard card games.

They were all private operations that split their profits with the village chief and each other, a strategy that allowed each of the operations to grow without fostering any conflict between groups. He made a mental note to talk to Shinji regarding such a strategy in the future business of the Kitsune. Looking up and down the street, Naruto said, "I'll take the left, you go inspect the right. We'll meet back here around six."

"Okay, good luck," Haku bowed. The two parted ways and Naruto went towards the first store: a small herbal store run by an old man busying himself with grinding the various medicines he found. The old man didn't even bother to look away from his work, simply pointing to a door beside the counter and explaining, "Dice is around back. Fifty ryou to buy in, two hundred and fifty to buy out."

The prices were absurd for any gambling operation, and paying money to buy out was simply not worth his time. Naruto preferred not to draw attention to himself so quickly, so he took a fifty ryou coin out of his wallet and went into the backroom. It was a small room filled with about nine men and four women seated in a circle as a lone woman shook a pair of dice in her hands and cried, "House has sixty on evens!"

She rolled the four die down the floor and they came to a stop at Naruto's feet, landing squarely on two fours, a three and a one. There were unanimous cheers as one patron cried out, "Twelve! I hit the jatpock!"

"Betting one hundred ryou isn't saying much. Here's your two thousand ryou," the old woman said, handing the man a handful of coins, "House collects one hundred twenty. Let's see, Ryu gets two-fifty and you get three hundred. What do you want?"

The old woman pointed at Naruto accusingly with a wicked look in her eyes. Naruto flinched at first but quickly collected himself and sat down beside the one named Ryu, "Fifty ryou on odds."

"We don't allow kids in here," the old woman batted at Naruto. Naruto noticed several of the other patrons sharing her warning look, one Naruto was all too familiar with. Maintaining himself, Naruto pulled his collar down just slightly at the left to reveal his tattoo, "Fifty ryou on odds."

Shock was the unanimous reaction across the room. Naruto cocked his head to the side innocently and reached into his wallet for another 50 ryou coin, "Actually, make that one hundred ryou on odds."

"The hell is the Kuroihi doing here?" one of the patrons remarked loudly, shaking a fist in Naruto's direction, "You aren't going to sucker us!"

"I just want to play a few games," Naruto smiled respectfully, "Are you really going to kick me out after I bought in?"

"Why you-"

"Kazu! Enough!" the old woman yelled at the patron, "He's bought in and just wants to play a few rounds. Let him."

Kazu looked from Naruto to the old woman and retreated back to his seat, folding his arms across his chest. The old woman kept a suspicious eye on Naruto and had only one other thing to say, "House is placing two hundred on evens. Is anyone else buying in?"

The silence lingered a few moments longer before Kazu broke with a handful of coins, "I've got five hundred on twenty."

"Three fifty on evens," another patron remarked. Immediately, all the other patrons were placing their bets on whatever they hoped would be the final outcome of the die roll. Naruto quietly played and observed as the game ran on, occasionally with someone buying out to leave or buying in to join. After a few minutes, Naruto finally asked the question, "Does anyone here know about the Legendary Sucker?"

"Are you kidding? Who doesn't?" Kazu remarked, "She owes me five thousand ryou for beating her at a drinking game!"

"She's a cheat if there ever was one," the old woman hosting the game added, "She took off the instant she was one hundred grand in the hole."

"Do you know where she ran off to?" Naruto inquired. Everyone in the room laughed aloud, Kazu being the one to ask, "Why? Do you actually think you're going to find her?"

"Have you seen her?" Naruto focused on having his questions answered. Kazu pointed his thumb over his shoulder and answered, "Yeah, she went east of here a few days ago. She's probably over at the next village by now."

"Thanks for the information," Naruto nodded. He took two fifty ryou coins from his winnings and left the rest on the floor, "You guys can keep the rest."

Naruto headed out into the street and onto the next store. Naruto was grateful for their help but wanted to get more than one opinion. The next few gambling circles greeted him in a similar manner, not that Naruto blamed them. It didn't take them long to overlook Naruto's status and provide him with the information he needed. The general consensus among all the places he visited placed Tsunade going east several days ago to escape her ever-increasing creditors.

At the allotted time, Naruto returned to the meeting spot and waited there for Haku to arrive. He leaned against the wall of a tailor's and looked up and down the street for any sign of his friend. Amidst the crowd of people wandering the street, he noticed a familiar head of dark colored hair walking up the street. The Hyuga heiress, Hinata ran down the street and into a back alley, a frantic look on her face. She scanned her surroundings briefly before disappearing from his sight.

Naruto suspected something was not right about the circumstances, primarily why Hinata was here of all places. She appeared to be in trouble and that alone was motivation enough for Naruto. Without so much as a second thought, Naruto followed after her. He kept his right hand wrapped firmly around Kitsune in case any trouble started up.

As he rounded the corner into the alleyway, he found it stopped at a wooden fence with a stack of crates beside it. Naruto tightened his grip around his katana and scanned his surroundings carefully. He should have known better than to wander into the alley and tried to focus in on anything out of place. His months without practice were finally starting to present themselves: he couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary. As he tried to leave the alley, he found his path blocked by a raven-haired man dressed in a black cloak lined with red clouds. The most noticeable feature about the man were his vivid red eyes with three black commas circling his pupils. The eyes were like daggers piercing into his soul.

As Naruto gazed into the eyes, he found the world around him starting to spin out of control. Naruto lost his balance to dizziness and fell to his knees to keep himself from falling down. The world around him turned red and the once firm ground he stood on was now a body of water. Naruto looked around him and found the man sitting on a chair behind a table with another chair. Naruto took another glance around, confused as to what happened.

"Please take a seat," the man offered, "Have some tea. We have a lot to discuss."

"What's going on? Who are you? Where are we?" Naruto bombarded the man with one question after another. The man replied with a simple, "Relax. Please, have a seat. We have a lot to discuss."

Naruto looked around himself once more uncertainly, but opted to accept the man's offer. He sat in the chair opposite him and noticed a cup of steaming tea in front of him. Naruto took a drink of the tea and tried to relax himself despite his eerie surroundings. He locked eyes with the man across him and asked again, "Who are you?"

"My name is Uchiha Itachi," the man replied, "And I've come to ask a favor of you, Boss Kitsune."

…

**Author's Note: **Hey folks. That's one more chapter over and done with. My next update will be in eight weeks on Friday, November 5th. If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on the Facebook or Playstation Network (PSN ID leo112358). Don't forget to check out my Resistance Sample. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	38. To the Readers

To the Readers of Oyabun and Takato's Light

I would like to apologize in advance for missing my deadlines. I understand this demonstrates a lapse in the normal flow of the update schedule and I respect everyone's decision to bear with this lapse. That said I must ask everyone to please wait for Friday December 3rd for the next available update for both stories.

I apologize again for this development but I have been dealing with an unexpected misfortune in my own family. A member of my family recently attempted to commit suicide and my family is doing its best to cope with the near loss – trying to understand why it happened and how it can be helped. To that end, I have taken both the last week, this week, and next week to cope with stress of the situation. I will try my best to resume my normal life and work will continue on the stories two weeks from now. Until then, thank you for bearing with me.

Leonardo1123581321


	39. A Brotherly Reunion

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as an animated series by Viz Media. The Art of War is a widely published text originally written Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicates, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Note:** Good evening everyone. I apologize for the long delay in the writing and editing of this video. As I mentioned in a previous, someone in my family recently attempted to commit suicide. It hurt to know they considered it and left my entire family trying to figure out why. While no harm came to them, we're still trying to pick up the pieces and help them heal. My family and I send out our gratitude to everyone for their support during this difficult time. The distraction has limited my time to develop this story, thus potentially creating a large number of grammatical errors. This is exacerbated by my beta not replying to me yet although I hope she will have it soon. I hope you can forgive that. Normally, I would reply to reviews in this next section, but I just can't bring myself to do it this time. Therefore, I've decided to simply go ahead with the story. Please enjoy.

**Update: **My beta finally got back to me with the revised chapters. Thanks for waiting.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 38: A Brotherly Reunion**

Naruto and Itachi stared at each other silently. Time felt as if it slowed to a crawl. Naruto tried to formulate a response in his mind but where exactly was he suppose to start? He had Itachi's name, but not much else beyond that. Why was the sky red? Why were they on a lake? How were they standing on water? What happened to the bustling village and the villagers? What was the point in coming here to ask a favor? All of them felt like a good place to start, but it was Itachi who continued the conversation, "I suppose you're wondering where we are?"

"Among other things," Naruto reclined in his chair, trying to look as relaxed as possible. Itachi frowned, "This is the world of my Tsukuyomi – a powerful genjutsu that allows me to alter the perception of reality. And that is all you need to know."

"I don't really know much about genjutsu," Naruto commented, taking a small sip of the tea he had, "I never paid attention to those lectures back in the academy – but I do remember genjutsu are used to create illusions. So how do I know you won't use these genjutsu to play a trick on me? How am I supposed to trust a guy who can't even talk with me like a normal person?"

"I know the circumstances are…unusual, but I implore you to hear me out," Itachi begged, "I used the tsukuyomi because there was no other way for us to discuss my arrangement with the Hidden Leaf Village."

"I'm listening," Naruto folded his hands and leaned towards Itachi curiously, "What arrangement would a person like you have with the Hidden Leaf Village?"

"My arrangement with the Hidden Leaf allows me to be the scapegoat for a certain event, in exchange for the safety and well being of my little brother Sasuke. You know him, correct?"

"I know of him," Naruto answered with a cool tone, "We didn't talk much in the academy and I can't say I like him even slightly."

"I'm worried Konoha won't live up to its end of the bargain, so I want you to keep an eye on my brother and make sure he stays safe," Itachi stated calmly, "Can I ask this one favor?"

"You can," Naruto answered, "But what will the Kitsune Clan receive in return?"

"I know your true identity is Uzumaki Naruto-" Itachi stated matter-of-factly.

"Are you trying to blackmail me?" Naruto winced accusingly, "Because in case you haven't noticed, the entire village knows that. What would be the point in telling anyone what they already know?"

"I also know that your life is in grave danger, Naruto."

"I'm the head of Konoha's top Ninkyo Dantai," Naruto pointed out, "I'm sure there are a lot of people who want me dead, excluding the villagers and the fact I somehow made it into Konoha's Most Wanted list."

"The ones who want you are not average shinobi," Itachi began his explanation, "They're a band of idealist S-rank shinobi whose combined strength rivals the Five Kages. I can't say what their ultimate goal is, but I know you're capture is one of their end objectives."

Naruto remained unimpressed and confident in his organization's abilities. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs, "So what? If these are guys are so tough, why don't they just take me?"

"Because I'm one of them, and I've bee-"

"I think I've heard enough," Naruto said matter-of-factly, his mind slowly drawing conclusions as to Itachi's schemes, "This genjutsu of yours is probably some distraction you created so I wouldn't realize I was being captured. I'm probably being dragged off somewhere outside the genjutsu, aren't I?"

"Not even a second has passed outside of the real world," Itachi explained, "I give you strict assurance that nothing has happened."

"Genjutsu," Naruto repeated plainly, waving his hand dismissively. It would take a lot more than an assurance from Itachi for Naruto to believe anything he said. Naruto kept an observant and careful eye on Itachi. Itachi maintained the same calm and composed attitude throughout the entire conversation – he didn't have a single tick or give he could notice. Itachi was either a skilled liar or completely honest in his intentions. Naruto tried to remain calm so as not to give away his unease but it would be a moot point if he really was in a genjutsu.

"If I can finish what I was about to say," Itachi countered, "My partner and I were the ones assigned to capture you alive. Fortunately for us, it is in both of our interests for you to stay out of their possession."

"Are you trying to muscle me?" Naruto asked plainly.

"Nothing like that," Itachi replied, "I'm simply offering an exchange of services. You keep my little brother safe from Konoha, and I'll keep you safe from my…associates."

"You still haven't given me a reason to trust you," Naruto commented, "So enlighten me, how can I trust you?"

Itachi closed his eyes momentarily and in an instant, the world around them changed into the Hokage's office, where the third sat prestigiously behind his desk. Before him were a younger Itachi wearing shinobi uniform, and three elderly persons Naruto didn't recognize. Itachi poured another cup of tea for himself and explained, "As a token of our trust, I'm going to show the true nature of the events on the night the Uchiha Clan was murdered. It is a fact Konoha's elders fear anyone finds out. You can see Danzou, Koharu, and Homura."

Naruto observed the younger Itachi argue vehemently with the clansmen, "You're asking me to make a sacrifice on this scale! And you deny me a simple request?"

"Your little brother is as much a threat to the village as the rest of your clan! These are orders Itachi, and we expect you to carry them out!" Danzou thrust his cane in Itachi's face, "Or do you want to be executed as well?"

"Danzou, don't think even for a second that you have the capacity to intimidate me!" Itachi warned, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, "I am two generations your junior and my strength has already surpassed yours! I can kill you here if you keep pushing me!"

"Calm down both of you!" the Third instructed, "Danzou, shut up. Itachi, are you sure that information is right?"

"Yes sir, Lord Hokage," Itachi confirmed spitefully, "They will make their move in approximately 48 hours."

"And you haven't been able to convince them not to?"

"No."

The Third reclined in his chair and bemoaned the circumstances, "Then we have 24 hours to act. I will meet with your father tomorrow and try to talk him down. If I can't…you know what to do."

"But sir-"

"I know you're concerned for his life," the old man offered, "Which is why I will allow you to spare him and only him."

"Sarutobi! Are you crazy?" Danzou argued, "The security of our village is at stake and you're willing to risk it all for the life of a child?"

"Danzou, you know better than anyone that we must have faith in the next generation," Sarutobi countered, "I would have hoped the Second Hokage would have taught you that much. If we cannot work towards protecting the next generation; passing down the hope of peace and prosperity towards our children and their children, then how can we claim to be doing what's best for the village?"

"It was that insane philosophy that got the second killed!" Danzou accused Sarutobi with his cane.

"It was that 'insane' philosophy that saved your life," Sarutobi corrected, "It saved all our lives. We must be willing to make sacrifices in the name of protecting the next generation. It's a little hard to do that if we're killing the next generation."

The village elders fell silent before the Third, at a loss of words for the Third's response. The third ran a hand through his grizzled old hair and said, "Itachi, you have permission to spare Sasuke. You have my word that no harm will come to him."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Itachi bowed. The Hokage's office room faded away, leaving behind only the darkened world of water they stood upon. Itachi set his cup of tea down upon the table and, for a brief moment, bore a distraught look on his face. Naruto made a mental note of this moment of weakness, curious about why it bothered Itachi. With a blink, Itachi regained his composure and explained, "With this information, you can keep the village elders off your back for a long time. Do we have a deal?"

"You've given me more than enough to make up my mind," Naruto answered honestly, "You have yourself a deal. I'll keep Sasuke out of trouble, and you keep your guys off of me."

"Thank you, Naruto," Itachi smiled briefly, "Now, for the sake of appearances, I will need you to pretend to pass out the second we leave this genjutsu. My partner will think I've rendered you unconscious and we'll attempt to leave. Master Jiraiya should stop us before we get out of the village."

"Alright," Naruto agreed.

"And one more thing," Itachi added, "Nobody can know about our little chat."

There was a blinding flash of white light, and the alleyway slowly faded into view. He stood face to face with Itachi and his partner, a tall blue-skinned man dressed in a similar outfit and wielding a large sword. On cue, Naruto pretended to fall unconscious. He rolled his eyes upwards, closed his eyes, and fell to the ground.

"Not bad Itachi, what did you do?" Itachi's partner asked, "Wait, don't tell me. I like surprises."

"Let's go, Kisame. We've already been here longer than I'd like. Jiraiya could show up any minute. I don't want to fight him if I don't have to."

"Alright, let me get the kid," Kisame grunted. Naruto felt a clammy arm wrap itself around his torso and his body being pulled into the air. He was thrown over Kisame's shoulder and felt Kisame turn around, "Hey, Itachi. There's a kid here. I think he saw everything…he kind of looks like you."

"He should…he's my little brother."

"Ah! So that's the infamous Uchiha Sasuke…he's a lot shorter than I thought he would be."

_Sasuke_? Naruto thought to himself. Why would he be here of all places? Naruto tried to open his eyes a crack to get a view of Sasuke, but only saw the back of Kisame's cloak. He wanted to cock his head up a little, but knew it would alert Kisame. He could only listen to the events as they unfolded.

"You! What did you do to Naruto?" Sasuke growled, "I've waited all this time for you to show your face again, and you go after him!"

"Your life has less value to me than his. You're still dirt clinging pathetically to life."

"I've waited a long time – too long for my chance at revenge, I won't let you ignore me!"

"Foolish little brother, do you think your hate is enough?"

"I'm not that little kid anymore! I've grown stronger! Strong enough to defeat you!"

Naruto couldn't believe this was the same Itachi who had pleaded with the Third to spare Sasuke. Sasuke apparently wanted nothing more than to kill Itachi and Itachi didn't appear to care for Sasuke in the slightest. Naruto imagined there was more at work than he could see, but was deafened by the sudden crackling of electricity followed by the shriek of birds fluttering through the air. There was a loud crash, followed by the sound of Sasuke gasping desperately for air. Now, more than ever, Naruto wanted to know what was happening. Unfortunately, he could still only make out Kisame's back.

"Foolish little brother, you're hate isn't strong enough."

Sasuke then gave out a deafening scream of agony – a cry of anguish that struck Naruto deeply. He was officially concerned for Sasuke's well-being and wanted to help him, despite Itachi's instructions to the latter. Torn between two conflicting decisions, Naruto found he could only listen to the events unfold and decide his next course of action accordingly.

"Interesting. This one actually screamed. What did you do?"

"I made him relive _that_ night."

"You're as cruel as they come Itachi."

"I only do what needs to be done."

"Heh…whatever you say, partner," Kisame chortled quietly. Naruto felt Kisame's shoulders start to shuffle back and forth, signaling they were leaving the alleyway. Naruto began to suspect Itachi had crossed him and slowly moved his hand towards his katana, planning on attacking Kisame the second they were in the middle of the crowd. He could lose them in a large crowd, it would make him harder to track.

He could feel Kisame rounding a corner. Naruto quietly counted the steps Kisame was taking in his mind, planning on running at ten, "Two…three…four…five…"

Naruto's concentration was broken by the unmistakable sound of kunai flying through the air. Something was off though. When it hit the ground, the sound of wood knocking met his ears – not the sound of metal reverberating. Kisame shuffled around and grunted aloud, "The hell?"

The sound of more kunai whipping through the air rung in Naruto's ears. Screams began echoing through the crowd, followed with thundering footsteps. In that instant, Naruto heard the unmistakable noise of Haku's large sword whipping through the air. Kisame lurched off to the side and dropped Naruto to the ground. Naruto held in a grunt, as he faked rolling off to his side to get a good view of the current situation. Itachi was on the opposite side of the street, watching with silent amazement at Kisame blocking a flurry of oncoming senbon needles with little effort.

"Where the hell are they coming from?" Kisame demanded aloud. Itachi ran through the motions of several different hand signs, his blood red eyes darting from one direction to another, "I see him, he's moving fast from rooftop to rooftop. Look out, here he comes!"

In little more than a blue blur, Haku grabbed his sword and disappeared into the rooftops once more. Itachi threw two kunai after him, clicking his tongue in distaste.

"Was that Zabuza?" Kisame inquired, "He's shorter than I remember."

"No, he's too young," Itachi commented, "You said Zabuza took on a protégé, right?"

"That little kid? Hmm, he would be about this age now."

While Haku distracted the two shinobi, Naruto slowly crawled away from his captors; doing his best to still appear unconscious. He was lucky enough to make it ten feet before Kisame's foot stomped on his hand and squashed it into the ground, "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm not going anywhere. Not with YOU!" Naruto growled. In one fluid motion, Naruto drew his katana and kicked Kisame's foot off his hand. Naruto followed with a forward thrust into Kisame's chest, only to be stopped by his large sword. With a mighty swing, Kisame lifted Naruto off the ground and threw the boy backwards. Naruto was able to catch himself just as his feet hit the ground, and spun his katana around in his hand so he held it backwards. Naruto rushed forward again, drawing his left hand back to deliver a left hook while keeping his katana forward as a shield. Kisame ran his hand through a complex set of hand signs – summoning an unseen stream of water that took the form of a shark, "Water Style: Suikodan no Jutsu!"

The shark dove straight at Naruto and exploded into a powerful blast of water in his face. Naruto fell backwards onto the ground, soaked from head to toe in Kisame's attack and wondering where he summoned a body of water. Naruto fought against gravity and incredible pain just to get himself back up but found his limbs tightening with each step he took.

"You were right about one thing kid," Kisame jeered, "Don't bother trying to move – my chakra is using the water in your body to keep your muscles paralyzed. Hey Itachi! The kid woke up!"

"You don't say," Itachi sighed, "Make sure he doesn't get away. Incoming, south-east at thirty five degrees."

"Got it," Kisame wheeled around on Naruto's hand and swung his sword down as a shield. Several senbon needles buried themselves into Kisame's large sword, "Nice try brat. You'll have to face me head on if you want to beat me!"

"Gladly!" Haku growled, appearing in front of Kisame with Zabuza's sword over his head and swinging it down. Kisame moved to block the attack, and the two swords met each other just over Naruto's head. Gravity was in Haku's favor and Kisame had to leap away to keep from buckling under the weight of Haku's attack, "Oh…you're good."

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!" An annoyingly energetic voice roared. The familiar green spandex worn only by Maito Gai was a dead giveaway. With minimal effort, Gai landed a solid punch on Kisame and sent him reeling backwards towards Itachi. Kisame angrily raised his sword in a defensive stance, "You again?"

"Kisame, time's up. We should go," Itachi cut him off, "We've drawn too much attention to ourselves."

"Come on! We can take them," Kisame whined.

"That's not the point. This is a covert operation," Itachi explained, "We can't afford to be exposed before plans are ready for the next phase."

"Fine," Kisame groaned quietly. The two shinobi disappeared to the rooftops, leaving behind Haku, Gai, and Naruto alone in the deserted street. The battle was over for now. Naruto slowly scrambled to his feet and dusted himself off, cradling the hand Kisame stepped on. He gritted his teeth in pain, he was finally able to move again but every muscle screamed in protest against it.

"Are you alright, Naruto?" Haku inquired.

"I've been better," he gritted clumsily, surprised to see even moving his mouth was painful, "How's Sasuke?"

"Sasuke?"

"Uchiha. He showed up a few minutes ago," Naruto pointed at the alley slowly – fighting more pain than before, "Itachi did something to him in the alleyway and he was knocked out cold."

"You mean those two who just tried to abduct you?" Haku concluded, a fact Naruto confirmed with a simple nod.

"Do you know why they were after you?" Gai asked quietly. Naruto took a quick glance at Gai to read him. His posture and his tone spoke an all too familiar intention to Naruto, one Keitaro instructed Naruto to always watch out for: Gai knew something, and wanted to know if Naruto knew it as well. Itachi made it specifically clear not to mention the details of their brief meeting. Naruto wasted no time in denying Gai's assertion with a confused shrug.

"I see, alright," Gai nodded, "I'm going to take a look at Sasuke, real quick."

"I'll go with," Naruto chimed. The memory Itachi showed him made it clear that anyone of Konoha's many ninja could be after Sasuke. He was now obligated to keep Sasuke safe, even if he didn't want to. Anyone of those village elders could have sent Gai here to assassinate Sasuke. Naruto followed Gai into the alley while Haku stood on guard in case Itachi and Kisame returned.

Around the corner, Sasuke lay unmoving on the ground on his back. Gai kneeled beside Sasuke and placed two fingers on Sasuke's neck just below the jaw, "Good, he's still alive."

"What did Itachi do to him?"

"I can't really say," Gai answered sheepishly, "Itachi could have done anything to him. He knocked out Kakashi in a second with just a glance."

"He beat Kakashi?" Naruto exclaimed is surprise. For Itachi to best Kakashi at anything was a feat, having witnessed Kakashi's combat skill in the Land of Waves. Naruto was thankful Itachi did nothing more than talk with him, wondering what Itachi would have done to him were that not the case. He could only imagine what he did to Sasuke in that brief second before he screamed aloud.

Gai took a few seconds to examine Sasuke before taking the boy up in his arms, "He needs immediate medical attention. I'll take him back to Konoha. You should go back as well. If those two show up again-"

"I'm not going anywhere," Naruto argued, "I've been hired out to escort my client on his trip, and until that duty is fulfilled, I'm not going anywhere."

"You were just attacked by two S-rank criminals," Gai argued, "Do you honestly think we're just going to let you wander around aimlessly outside the village?"

"I keep my promises," Naruto plainly stated, "I swore I would escort the client and that's what I intend to do."

"I'm not asking you, I'm telling you: go back to the village!" Gai replied warningly. Naruto snapped, "I'm not a member of the Leaf Village's ninja corps; I do not listen to you!"

Gai leered at Naruto, slowly breathing out his next words, "I'm not giving you an order, I'm trying to save your life! Those two took out Kakashi in a second, the only reason you're still alive is because they were using discretion. They won't do that next time! They won't hesitate to use everything they have to get you."

"If they want me, they'll have to do it over my dead body," Naruto felt as if he were repeating himself, "Because I'm not going anywhere. I always keep my word – and I'd rather die before I go back on it."

"The village is the safest place for-" Gai was cut off by Haku's sword coming down between Gai and Naruto. Haku was undeterred by the scowl Gai sent his direction, calmly smiling, "If anyone wishes to harm the chairman, they will have to go through me first."

Gai paused momentarily, a deliberating look in his eye that Naruto didn't like, "Fine. Do whatever you want. I need to get Sasuke back to the village."

Gai departed without hesitation – disappearing around a corner at blinding speed and leaving behind nothing shy of a dust trail. Naruto and Haku weren't going to waste time in the alley either. This village's guards would be responding to reports of a brawl starting up and neither of them wanted to be here when those guards showed up. They went the opposite direction of Gai as they turned the corner of the alley – walking calmly so as not to draw attention to themselves.

"So did you find out anything about Tsunade?" Naruto asked.

"Just that she went east of here, you?"

"I got the same info," Naruto explained, "She went east to avoid the local debt collectors. You've faced her before, right?"

"Not really. When Zabuza and I were contracted to catch her, she just kept slipping by us. We never really got close enough to fight her one on one."

"Did you at least get a look at her?"

"Yeah, she's young for her age," Haku pointed out, "Either that, or she's using a powerful genjutsu just subtle enough to go undetected. It wouldn't be surprising – she is one of the Sannin: 'The Legendary Three Shinobi'."

"What is a Sannin anyway? I mean, there's Tsunade, Pervy Sage; I guess I mean is why are they called Sannin? Wouldn't sennin make more sense?"

"They are sennin," Haku explained, "Master Jiraiya just happens to be the only one vocal about his status. They're called Densetsu no Sannin or Sannin for short. They earned the title after they successfully survived a battle with Hanzo the Salamander. Hanzo was the leader of Amegakure and he was famous for leaving no survivors. It wasn't until his famous battle with three Konoha shinobi that he finally met his match. He gave them the title because their combined strength could match Hanzo. Since that time, they've been known by that name internationally."

"Three…so who's the third?"

"Orochimaru."

"You mean that psycho?" Naruto hissed aloud. Haku nodded, "Twisted though he may be, Orochimaru has shown himself to be a formidable combatant and a genius in his own right."

"Great, one's a psycho, one's a pervert, and one owes more money than exists," Naruto huffed, "They're 'Legendary' alright."

While they continued chatting, more and more people slowly started to filter their way back on to the streets. Naruto and Haku passed by two guards pushing their way through the growing crowd towards the alley. They were lightly armed, dressed only in light chest guards and wielding short spears made of sharpened wooden sticks. Obviously, the village hadn't put much expense towards its law enforcement.

A little further ahead, they ran into Jiraiya flirting with a trio of young ladies dressed in revealing clothing that left little to the imagination. Naruto was annoyed with the old man's perversions and ruined his fun by shouting, "Hey! ERO-SENNIN!"

"Ero-Sennin?" the ladies giggled to themselves, "Are you really a pervert Mister Jiraiya?"

"No, of course not!" Jiraiya replied quickly, "It's an inside joke! If you'll excuse me ladies, I want to talk to my 'friend' for a minute."

Jiraiya approached Naruto and Haku with a scowl, while the three ladies he flirted with talked amongst themselves, "Alright, what's your problem?"

"My problem is I was almost killed! Where the hell were you?" Naruto hissed.

"I told you, I was gathering information!" Jiraiya growled quietly, "I found out Tsunade went east to some town called Bouken."

"We learned the same thing," Naruto offered.

"Did you also find out that Bouken is a border town where the Sakurazaki clan operates?" Jiraiya added cheerfully, "Trust me, that info is a real doozy."

"Sakurazaki clan…" Naruto repeated quietly, knowing Hashi-sensei was in charge of that particular clan for the Kuroihi. For a moment, Naruto felt a spark of excitement inside of him and wanted to jump for joy. At the same time, he had to save face and portray a serious air. As Keitaro had once said, this was not a business where emotions could be worn on the sleeve. Maintaining a calm demeanor, Naruto said, "We should act on this information while she's close."

"Not yet, it's getting dark out and we don't want to invite trouble," Jiraiya countered, "Plus there's a whole lot to enjoy in this town."

"You just want to flirt with those girls," Naruto snorted.

"Indeed I do," Jiraiya winked, "So run along to the hotel and I'll see you boys later."

Jiraiya returned his attention to charming the three ladies who he took in his arms to escort him away. Naruto was both annoyed and ecstatic. On the one hand, Jiraiya ditched them again but this time to flirt with girls. On the other hand, he would be seeing Hashi-sensei after two months without seeing him.

Naruto was unable to sleep that night. He was too ecstatic to meet Hashi-sensei again but was also preoccupied by the promise of answering Hinata. He still wasn't sure how he felt. He liked her, but not in that way – at least as far as he knew. His thoughts tossed and turned all night, leaving him to wonder how such a simple matter could become so complicated. His night was not helped by the belligerent snores of Jiraiya. Haku was able to sleep through the noise, both to Naruto's surprise and disappointment as it meant he had no one to talk to.

The night dragged on for Naruto, as his mind raced with thoughts. Slowly, glimmers of light broke through the windows of the dark room. Sunrise had broken.

…

They left early the next morning. Apparently, Jiraiya was trying to avoid some trouble he garnered the night before. Unsurprisingly, Jiraiya flirted with the woman who ran their ram shackle inn, stopping only when she hurried them out the door. They trekked an unfamiliar road to Bouken – the town where his association with Hashi, and the Kuroihi at large, had all begun. Naruto thought it funny that he hadn't learned the town's name despite all the time he had spent there; an unimportant matter but embarrassing all the same.

They arrived at the small town after a brief journey. The streets were as full of life as Naruto remembered, citizens happily going back and forth about their lives paying little mind to the Sakurazaki soldiers who busily fulfilled their duties to the clan. Whether it was patrolling, tribute collection, or simple guard duty – the soldiers and villagers happily intermingled with each other without a care in the world. There was something different that caught Naruto's attention: there were more clansmen than normal and they were all dressed in armor: chest plates, arm guards, and knee guards. Gan claimed there was a war being fought outside Naruto's knowledge, but to need the clansmen to wear armor meant the situation was more dangerous than he originally thought.

"Come on, we better go find ourselves an inn," Jiraiya stated, "I know a nice little place just-"

"Let's just stay at Hashi-sensei's place," Naruto said matter-of-factly.

"Who?"

"Hashi-sensei, he's in charge of the Sakurazaki clan," Naruto explained, "He's also my Oyabun and kenjutsu instructor."

"You know him?" Jiraiya asked disbelievingly. Naruto shrugged off Jiraiya's tone, "Know him? He saved my life. He's been protecting me ever since then."

"We are talking about the same guy right?" Jiraiya inquired, "Momiji Hashi?"

"I think that's his name."

"So it's not him?"

"No it is him!"

"You're sure?"

"He let me stay at his manor a couple of times."

"And you didn't tell me this!"

"Was it important?" Naruto crossed his arms impatiently, "It's not like you asked."

"Kid, Momiji is as dangerous as they come!" Jiraiya warned, "He's in charge of the most powerful Clan in the entire Kuroihi Syndicate! If you knew what I knew about him, you'd know staying at an inn would be the better of two options!"

"And if you knew what I knew, you'd know he's a nice man!" Naruto countered, "Now, Master Jiraiya, if you have nothing else to add, I think it would be in everyone's best interest to go to the manor. That would be the most safely guarded place in the entire village."

"Fine," Jiraiya grunted, "But if he tries anything, it'll be on your head!"

"Deal, let's go," Naruto sighed, leading the way to Hashi's manor. As he led the familiar way back, he noticed several of the buildings they passed now had tarps thrown over them. The sounds of construction work could be heard from within accompanied by the occasional passing of some clansmen in and out of the tarps. As they approached Hashi's manor, they found the main entrance blocked by a horse cart, with two soldiers of Gan's uniformed employees watching the front gate and three more along the manor's exterior wall armed with cross bows.

The manor was more finely decorated than Naruto remembered, streamers running from the ground to the main gate and turning to ride along the top of the main wall. Traditional paper lanterns were hung to decorate the walkway from the main gate to the manor and the small garden just to the right. In addition, several white tables had been set up with pure white cloths adorned with flowers along the edges and bouquets atop.

As they approached the main gate, the guards were quick to bow, "Boss Kitsune, we weren't expecting you so soon."

"So soon?" Naruto looked over his shoulder at Haku for some clue as to what they mean. Haku could only shrug and point as one of the guard's explained, "Of course. Keitaro has been given permission to marry Boss Hashi's daughter."

**Author's Note: **That's all I was able to do. I apologize if it seemed short. My next update will be in eight weeks on Friday, January 28th. If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on the Facebook or Playstation Network (PSN ID leo112358). Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	40. The Wedding

Disclaimer: Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as an animated series by Viz Media. The Art of War is a widely published text originally written Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicates, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

Author's Note: Hey Guys. This is Leonardo1123581321 reporting in. Things have returned to a state of normalcy since the aforementioned incident and I wanted to thank everyone for their support since that time. I don't really have much else to say except thanks to Kells for proofreading these chapters for me. It's been a while, so let's go straight to the review responses:

**Bro: **Thanks for the compliment

**BlueDragon1369: **I know, I mixed up Zabuza and Kisame's name several times. That was my fault and I do apologize.

**OBSERVER01: **Thanks for the kind words. I intend to continue the story with the same quality as before.

**DarkRavie: **Look no further for I bring you the next installment in the series.

**Hieiashke: **Once again, that was my mistake. Circumstantially, it was kind of hard to focus during that period of time so I apologize for the confusion.

**DEBob19: **I think I fixed all the mistakes. I probably missed one or two, so I apologize for any confusion.

**Ookami Monoke: **Wait no more, the next chapter is ready for your reading pleasure.

**Shadow-Sensei: **Thank you for all your kind wishes and support during this trying time. Fortunately, life has returned to something akin to normalcy but only time can heal all wounds.

**Hippie Painter: **Thank you for your concern.

**Kyuubinovelli: **I apologize for how confusing it is. There are still a lot of secrets I need to reveal and some loose ends to tie up. The only way to find out is to keep reading until the end.

And now, without further ado, I present the next chapter of Oyabun.

Oyabun

(An Older Brother)

Chapter 39: The Wedding

"That's… good news?" Naruto almost asked rather startled. Honestly, he was flabbergasted at the guard's words and had no idea how to take it. Not because it wasn't unexpected - Naruto had his suspicions from he had seen. On the contrary, he wasn't sure what the exact nature of their relationship was. And what did Hashi-sensei think of it, "I'm going to talk to Hashi-sensei."

"Sorry Boss Kitsune," the guard apologized meekly, "He's been busy with preparations ever since Keitaro begged him for his blessing. We can let him know you're here, but don't expect to see him right away."

"Can I at least come in?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, yes, forgive us. Oyabun's somewhere around the manor," the guards fiddled with the barricaded gates for a moment and swung them open to let their group into the decorated grounds of the manor. As Jiraiya was about to step through, one of the guard's stopped him, "Sorry sir, invited guests only."

"It's okay, he's with me," Naruto explained sheepishly. The guard apologized and let Jiraiya pass cautiously, eyeing him carefully. As they proceeded through the grounds, they spotted a small group of villagers setting up decorations as overseen by two of Hashi's subordinates. They explained the planned layout aloud, emphasizing that the decorations not cross the secure perimeter of the compound – otherwise some unfortunate guest would set off an explosive as they sat down.

"Hell of a time for a wedding, right?" Naruto overheard one of the villagers murmur.

"It's a nice change of pace compared to everything else that's happened recently," another villager replied, "That hit in Kosuka's diner, the East Road toll collector's head winding up on a stick—"

"And the three Nomura brothers all getting killed in that cart bomb."

Naruto led the way through the front door where they found the entrance hall also finely decorated with white and red streamers. Keitaro was on the top step of a ladder, placing white flowers along the streamers that were handed to him by one of the guards below.

"Hey Keitaro," Naruto called out to the man, "How have you been?"

"Hm? Oh Boss Kitsune," Keitaro answered as he slid down the ladder, "I'm fine. Great actually. Oh, and it's Boss Sora now."

"Boss Sora?"

"His last name," Jiraiya greeted with a nod, "Sora Keitaro. It's a pleasure to meet you. I must say, you're reputation precedes you."

"And you are?"

"Toad Sage and Legendary Sannin Jiraiya, at your service."

"Sorry, never heard of you before, Jiraiya," Keitaro scratched his chin, "Actually, now that I think about it, aren't you that pervert who made a pass on several of the local girls a few months back?"

"A common mistake," Jiraiya answered defensively, "I get mixed up a lot with some pervert who shares my name."

"You're a horrible liar," Naruto answered, "Keep an eye on Hana or pervy sage here will make a pass at her."

"I'll keep that in mind," Keitaro smiled, "I'd love to catch up, but I need to get back to decorating."

"Sure thing, do you know where Hashi-sensei is?" Naruto asked.

"Probably with Hana around back," Keitaro thumbed down the hallway, "Boss has been going over the decorations with Hana to make sure she's okay with it."

"Thanks, and congratulations," Naruto waved. He, Haku and Jiraiya marched off down the hall. They came into the back of the manor where the small arena had been converted into a dance floor. It was surrounded on all sides by more tables fashioned with white table clothes lined with an assortment of flowers. Standing in the center of the dance floor were Hashi and Hana. Hashi had a clipboard in his hand, showing Hana its contents and asking what she wanted.

"Hashi-sensei," Naruto said aloud, bowing before his Oyabun. Hashi looked at Naruto with pleasant surprise, "I didn't expect to see you until tomorrow. The invitations said the wedding wasn't until then."

"I probably missed it in all my paperwork, sensei," Naruto apologized, "Congratulations by the way."

"Thank you," Hana bowed. Her belly had swollen considerably since he had last seen her, an obvious clue to one thing and one thing only: pregnancy. Although it had only been two months since she departed Konoha with her father, there was at least a few weeks he had spent with her where he should have noticed. Hana placed her hands around her child to be and smiled, "How have you been, Naru?"

Her gentle air was an act for her father's sake. And the reminder of the female nickname she had given him wasn't exactly welcome. Naruto wasn't going to press his luck with the bride with her father so close and bit his tongue for the time, "Good. And please, it's Naruto."

"But Naru is so much cuter," Hana replied.

Naruto bit his tongue hard to keep from snapping and was saved by Hashi changing the subject, "How are you, Haku?"

"I'm fine."

"And who's your guest?"

"Jiraiya," Jiraiya introduced himself with a deep bow, "It is an honor to meet you, Chairman Momiji."

"The Toad Sage?" Hashi guessed.

"I see you know me!" Jiraiya answered happily, a smug grin on his face.

"I know of you," Hashi admitted calmly, "I'm a fan of your books but I hope your behavior doesn't take after them. I've got dozens of reports of an old man calling himself the Toad Sage spying on the local baths. I hope that isn't you."

"Must be someone else using my name," Jiraiya laughed nervously, "They say mimicry is the best form of flattery, or something like that."

"Maybe," Hashi shrugged, "So if you didn't come here because of the wedding, why are you here?"

"Bodyguard," Naruto answered proudly, "Jiraiya here hired Haku and myself to escort him on his search for the Legendary Sucker. We got word she came here."

"You missed her," Hashi explained, "She and her partner went to the next town over after she found out this town was home to my estate."

"You're well informed," Jiraiya commented curiously, almost sounding like an accusation. Hashi shrugged off the comment, "I just like to keep tabs on people who owe me money."

"Can you tell us which way she went?" Naruto inquired.

"After the wedding," Hashi answered, "Until then, I invite all three of you to stay the night. I want to talk with Jiraiya quickly, if that's alright with you, Hana."

"Go on daddy," Hana smiled, "I'll finish up."

"Thanks dear," Hashi kissed his daughter on the forehead, "I'll be back quickly."

"What about the Legendary Sucker? We're going to fall behind her if we don't hurry up!" Naruto demanded of Jiraiya and Hashi. Hashi waved Naruto's concerns aside with simple assurances; "My business associates will keep an eye on her for us. If she moves, I'll know."

Hashi patted Jiraiya on the back and led him back into the manor. Naruto wondered to himself why Hashi simply didn't just tell them where Tsunade went so they could go after her.

...

Jiraiya observed Hashi carefully as he led the way into his office. It was much more elegantly kept compared to Naruto's office. As Hashi circled around his desk to his arm chair, Jiraiya noticed he was quick to slip a photograph into one of his desk drawers before offering Jiraiya a seat, "Please have a seat. I know I said this would be quick, but I wanted to go over some details with you concerning Naruto's safety."

"I don't see what you're concern is," Jiraiya pointed out, stretching his arms behind the back of his chair, "The kid's in good hands with me."

"Akatsuki," Hashi said. Jiraiya frowned at the words, surprised to see Hashi knew about them, "I don't have a lot of details about them, but I understand they're after Naruto. Why?"

"You're asking me?"

"As I said, I don't have many details," Hashi repeated calmly, "All I know is they're after Naruto. That scuffle yesterday didn't exactly go unnoticed. I have to say, I'm not exactly pleased with your conduct - leaving Naruto and Haku alone to fight off two S-Rank shinobi in the bingo book. Haku alone just scratches the qualifications for A-Rank in terms of skill."

"I was there when it happened," Jiraiya pointed out defensively, "I believe the two handled themselves well considering the circumstances."

"We're getting off subject. Why are they after Naruto?" Hashi demanded with a more firm tone.

"Honestly, I don't know," Jiraiya lied. He had a clue as to why they were after Naruto, but he wasn't going to tell a high ranking criminal, especially one with as tarnished a past as himself, "They're after him. That's about as much as I know myself."

"Come on Jiraiya, I'm not an idiot," Hashi proclaimed in a matter-of-fact manner, "I know you've been asking around. All I want is to share what we know. Not for my sake, not for your sake, for Naruto's sake."

"I'm sorry but that's really all I know," Jiraiya said again, "If it's his safety you're concerned about, why did you allow him to become so deeply involved in the Yakuza?"

Hashi paused for a moment, a defeated look flashed across his face for a brief moment—or at least Jiraiya thought so. Perhaps he struck a chord? Hashi quickly composed himself and plainly observed, "Arguing back and forth is not going to get us anywhere. Just tell me one thing, who is protecting who? Is Naruto really protecting you or is it the other way around?"

"The other way around," Jiraiya answered honestly, hoping that this would put Hashi at some kind of ease, "I brought Naruto along to get him away from the village, where the Akatsuki were looking for him. Since Tsunade, or the Legendary Sucker as you know her, managed to stay on the run as long as she did - I figured staying just one step behind her would throw them off."

"You don't really intend to find her then, do you?" Hashi inquired.

"That's where I can't tell you anymore," Jiraiya answered, "Official Konoha business. I'm sure you understand don't you Hashi?"

"Unfortunately," Hashi sighed, "There's one other thing I wanted to discuss. Naruto never passed the academy, so I taught him some kenjutsu to supplement what skills he did have so he could protect himself. However, there's only so much I can teach Naruto in terms of kenjutsu so I want you to teach him some ninjutsu. I do it myself but I barely qualified as a chunin. And you... well you're the Toad Sage."

"I don't take orders from criminals," Jiraiya asked, "So why should I?"

"Because you're his godfather," Hashi said plainly, a grin on his face. Jiraiya paused for a moment, surprised at the extent of Hashi's knowledge. Yes, he was the boy's godfather, but only a few people knew that knowledge: most of whom were dead. As he came back to reality, he heard Hashi say, "So will you teach him?"

"As it so happens, I have just the thing for him," Jiraiya answered.

...

Keitaro and Hana's wedding occurred two days later, in front of the dojo in Hashi's back lawn. A shrine had been moved in front of it recently—or so Naruto assumed based on how new it looked. The bride and groom were dressed in formal kimonos; Keitaro's was all black with a white Haori marked by a cloud on the back. Hana's kimono was white, with a pink sash tied around her waist. Throughout the whole ceremony, neither of the two took their eyes off the other.

The purification ceremony by the priest was just concluded and Keitaro was in the middle of reading his vows to Hana. Naruto found the moment to be a mix of romantic and beautiful as the young couple finished exchanging vows and proceeded to the exchange of sake. It was a three step process, where the two of them poured sake into three cups each and took turns drinking out of each other's cups as they climbed the tiered steps. Once they finished, the priest gave them each a handful of twigs to offer to the shrine, completing the wedding ceremony to cheers and applause.

Among the witnesses to the ceremony were the townspeople of Bouken, several of the higher ranking Kuroihi - the only two Naruto could name were Yamato and his father Ryouke - along with other prominent looking men fashioned in fine suits bearing colors of the opposing syndicates. Naruto wondered what they were doing here but didn't want to spoil the mood and clapped as Keitaro and Hana proceeded down the aisle towards the reception area where they sat themselves down in the middle of a long table beside one another.

As they passed by him, Naruto took note of Keitaro's right hand and the three fingers it was now missing. Hashi-sensei must not like giving his daughter away to him, Naruto thought to himself. The other guests were now moving to the tables organized throughout the grounds - Haku and Jiraiya among them. A band had been hired to play music for the event, playing foreign music Naruto had never heard of before but was quite moving admittedly. Naruto listened intently to the music as the other guests began helping themselves to all the food provided by a team of chefs Hashi claimed to have hired from the feudal lord himself.

The guests slowly settled into their meals and several toasts were made in honor of the newlyweds, along with calls for the duo to dance. Hana was embarrassed at first and Keitaro seemed bothered at first but they finally gave in after much coaxing. Keitaro led Hana onto the dance floor and signaled the band to begin playing a hauntingly whimsical ballad. As the music began, Keitaro led Hana in a waltz around the dance floor.

"Parla piano, l'amore e mi tieni caldo contro il tuo cuore

Sento le tue parole, i momenti di tenerezza tremante inizio

Siamo in un mondo, la nostra stessa

Condivisione di un amore che solo pochi hanno mai conosciuto

Giorno color vino scaldato dal sole

Notti di velluto profondo quando siamo uno

Parla piano, l'amore in modo che nessuno ci ascolta, ma il cielo

I voti di amore che facciamo vivrà fino alla morte

La mia vita è tua e di tutti perché

Sei venuto nel mio mondo con amore così dolcemente amore

Giorno color vino scaldato dal sole

Notti di velluto profondo quando siamo uno

Parla piano, l'amore in modo che nessuno ci ascolta, ma il cielo

I voti di amore che facciamo vivrà fino alla morte

La mia vita è tua e di tutti perché

Sei venuto nel mio mondo con amore così dolcemente amore."

The song came to an end and there was applause for the newlyweds who kissed each other passionately. Naruto wondered if that was the first time they had been able to publicly show their affection for each other - considering the number of times he had seen them sneaking around just to be in each other's company. He turned his attention to Hashi-sensei sitting beside Hana's chair and looking on indifferently.

Or so Naruto thought at first, but Hashi appeared distraught upon closer inspection. Did he not approve of the marriage? Was the presence of so many of his rival clansmen making him nervous? Maybe it was both. Whatever it was, Naruto was sure the serious look on his face meant he didn't want to be disturbed. He was pulled from his thoughts by the sudden appearance of a man in a white suit and a red flower in his breast pocket, "So, you're the kid everyone is talking about: Boss Uzumaki "Kitsune" Naruto."

"Hello," Naruto said stupidly, almost falling out of his chair in surprise. He recognized this man. He had seen him many months ago when all the heads of the Kuroihi were meeting at Hashi's Manor. He didn't like the man then and he didn't like the man now. The man smiled, the smell of cheap sake on his breath, "How does a kid not only become in charge of the Kuroihi's interests in Konoha but start a gang war?"

Naruto fanned the air to rid it of the whiskey smell and asked, "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met. Do I know you?"

"Ah! Of course! I'm Goro Takeshi, head of the Goro Clan based on a border town between the Land of Rice and Fire! But you! You're a legend, you know that kid! Barely twelve and you tricked both the chairman and Hashi into letting you take over Konoha! Not that either of them were smart to begin with. Especially the chairman, I always knew that old fart was off his rocker."

"Is there a point to this?" Naruto asked, trying to hide the anger bubbling up inside of him. He didn't like Takeshi's tone or his attitude, and it was taking all of Naruto's self control to keep from beating the daylights out of him. Naruto didn't want to make a scene at a wedding, especially if it was for Hashi-sensei's daughter.

"Not really," Takeshi answered, "I'm just trying to get to know you a little better."

"Takeshi, how much have you had to drink?" Hashi appeared by Takeshi and pushed the two apart. Takeshi staggered momentarily but maintained his composure and quietly said, "Hey! Don't worry. I was just socializing!"

"Well go sober up first," Hashi instructed calmly, "You smell like cheap sake."

"Sure thing," Takeshi clicked his tongue and wondered off into the crowd shouting, "Hey! Hey! Reiko! Bring me some sake, would you bring me some more of that fine wine! It tastes amazing!"

"I apologize if Takeshi was giving you any trouble," Hashi apologized, pulling up a chair besides Naruto, "He tends to get carried away with this idea that he's an expert in fine wines and sake."

"I could tell," Naruto remarked, "How have you been Hashi-sensei? We've barely spoken since we met."

"Busy," Hashi admitted, "Between this wedding and business, it's been a hassle."

"You mean the war?"

"So you found out," Hashi frowned, "Yeah, the war has been the bigger responsibility of the two. Part of the reason I allowed the two of them to get married is so I could get a cease fire. Even during conflict, enemies must honor the union of a new couple. It's selfish, but it would've been more selfish to force those to keep their relationship secret forever."

"Wait, you knew?"

"Did you?" Hashi accused angrily, sending Naruto to push his seat back a few inches in fear. It wasn't until he started laughing that Naruto assumed he was joking, "I knew, Naruto. At least, I had a hunch. I'm still not sure if I'm okay with letting the two of them marry like this."

"Why not?" Naruto inquired. Hashi paused for a moment, lost in his own thoughts and glancing at Naruto quietly every so often, "That's a long story, one I don't feel like sharing."

Naruto took the hint and shut up. He confirmed what he had been guessing to himself for some time. Hashi was uneasy because he didn't approve of the wedding. It was merely a question of why. Naruto recalled Keitaro once saying he and Hana knew each since they were children, and that people wanted him dead as a kid. Perhaps that had something to do with it. Hana's pregnancy probably wasn't helping the situation either. It occurred to Naruto in that instant that perhaps he should consult Keitaro on his Hinata dilemma. He would of course wait until the festivities were over. He didn't want to spoil their celebrations with questions into their personal lives.

"Well, what about those guys?" Naruto asked, pointing towards a man standing far away from the rest in a tan suit, "They aren't dressed like Kuroihi."

"They're from the other organizations," Hashi explained, "The Enkou Syndicate are the guys in tan, the Kaki Brotherhood are dressed in blue, and the Shirotsuki Clan are the ones dressed in white and red."

"I thought we were at war with them," Naruto commented, just at Takeshi burst into a loud fit of laughter somewhere in the crowd. Whether it was by accident or because he overheard Naruto was an answer he would never get.

"Business may be rough, right now Naruto," Hashi commented, "But no businessman would dare to cause trouble at a wedding."

"Why not?"

"You ask so many questions," Hashi remarked, turning Naruto's face red with embarrassment, "Don't worry. It's good to want answeres to everything. They won't cause trouble for the same reason no one would dare to harm an infant and its mother, or steal from the poor. It's a dishonorable practice that hurts business."

At that moment, Keitaro began to tap his spoon against his wine glass to get everyone's attention, "Everyone, On behalf of Hana and myself, I wanted to thank you all for coming out. I know times have been tough and it means a lot to the both us for all of you to come see us. I also want to thank Oyabun for personally financing the wedding - thank you Boss, especially for the band which I know must have been a hassle for you to bring out here. Finally, I have one last present for my wife. A song I know she's been asking to hear for a long time. It's a piece from my home and I mean every word I say from the bottom of my heart."

Keitaro took a guitar from the band and strummed on the strings carefully. In an almost tragic voice, he whispered the words aloud:

"Brucia la luna n'cielu

E ju bruciu d'amuri

Focu ca si consuma

Comu lu me cori

L'anima chianci

Addulurata

Non si da paci

Ma cchi mala nuttata

Lu tempu passa

Ma non agghiorna

Non c'e mai suli

S'idda non torna

Brucia la terra mia

E abbrucia lu me cori

Cchi siti d'acqua idda

E ju siti d'amuri

Acu la cantu

La me canzuni?

Si no c'e nuddu

Ca s'a affacia

A lu barcuni

Brucia la luna n'cielu

E ju bruciu d'amuri

Focu ca si consuma

Comu lu me cori."

Keitaro strummed the guitar through the bridge and repeated the song, only this time translating each verse:

"The moon is burning in the sky

And I am burning with love

A fire that consumes

Like my heart

My soul cries

Painfully

I'm not at peace

What a terrible night

Time passes

But there is no dawn

There is no sunshine

If she doesn't return

My earth burns

And my heart burns

While she thirsts for water

I thirst for love

Who will I sing

My song to?

If there is no one

Who shows herself

On the balcony

The moon is burning in the sky

And I am burning with love

The fire is consumed

Like my heart"

Keitaro played the last few notes, and ended the song there. The guests applauded Keitaro's performance, who stood to take a bow. Naruto glanced over at Hana's direction and saw a content smile on her face. Keitaro returned the guitar to the band member and returned to his wife, who thanked him with a kiss, "I loved it, Keitaro."

Naruto was curious as to Keitaro's origins, seeing as he was clearly not native to this part of the world. He had heard Keitaro speak in the strange language before, but it was only a brief comment and Keitaro never bothered to explain it.

The party winded down as the day came to an end. Haku had disappeared somewhere during the celebrations and Jiraiya was leaving the festivities arm in arm with two beautiful young ladies, although Naruto didn't really care for what they were about to do. Even though the guests were leaving, Keitaro and Hana were still dancing away on the dance floor - their attention only on each other.

Naruto waited patiently for the two of them to finish, sitting quietly at his table and picking away at his food. He had grabbed a plate of noodles and tomato sauce - a dish from Keitaro's home called spaghetti, but couldn't bring himself to eat it. It was delicious, but people must have like to stuff their face where Keitaro was from. His stomach would probably explode if he so much as had another bite of food.

Slowly, Keitaro and Hana's dance came to an end; both of them wore surprised looks when they realized everyone had gone back to their homes with the exception of Naruto and several of Hashi's men who were on clean up duty. Naruto applauded the two's dance, and they joined him for what was left of their plate.

"Sorry about that, we got carried away," Keitaro apologized, taking out a seat for his wife before seating himself, "How did you enjoy things?"

"It was good, congratulations again on your wedding," Naruto commented, "You must be very happy."

"We are," Hana answered, resting her head against Keitaro's shoulder. Naruto felt now was a perfect time to consult them on his Hinata situation, so he asked, "If you don't mind my asking, Keitaro: when did you first realize you loved Hana?"

"I'd say it was when we're still kids," Keitaro answered, "It's kind of a long story though, and I'm sure the last thing you want to hear is something like that. Why?"

"No reason."

"It sounds like he has girl troubles Kei," Hana chimed in, looking at Naruto as if he were an adorable baby animal. Keitaro wore an astounded look on his face and looked at Naruto proudly, asking, "Whose the luck girl, kid?"

"It's not like that," Naruto answered defensively, "She likes me."

"Oh, did she confess her feelings for you?" Hana asked. Naruto looked between the two of them. They were both intrigued now and it was making Naruto nervous. Perhaps consulting them wasn't such a good idea,. Nevertheless, his voice shook weakly even though it was just one word, "Yes."

Hana giggled like a school girl and wrapped her arms around Naruto, "Aw, that's so cute! It sounds just like something from a romance book! Like the Icha Icha series! So, what did you say?"

"Nothing," Naruto answered. Hana released Naruto and stared him down, "Come on, don't be shy Naruto. You can tell auntie Hana."

"So it's Auntie now?" Keitaro commented quietly. Naruto sincerely hoped he would intervene, if only because he was scared of Hana at the moment for reasons other than Hashi being her father. Naruto did his best to hide his fear but his shaking voice definitely betrayed him, "Nothing... because I like her, but I don't know if I like her in that way."

"Oh," Hana let him go, "Why not?"

"Because I don't know if I love her," Naruto explained, "Like I said, I like her and I've thought about it, but I don't know if I do or not."

"Naruto, no one ever knows if they love a person," Hana answered, "There's no such thing as love at first sight. You may think you like a person at first sight, but it's always shallow infatuation."

"What?" he asked stupidly. There wasn't a single word in that sentence that made sense to him, especially the shallow infatuation part. Then again, he was still recovering from the serious look on Hana's face a second ago. Thankfully, Keitaro was there to simplify it for him, "She means, you don't just love a person for the way they look. They may look pretty but what do you know about them? For example, is there any girl that you think is pretty?"

"Well yeah," Naruto answered, thinking immediately of the pink haired Sakura. That was an obvious question. Keitaro nodded, asking, "Well, do you anything about that girl other than a name and face? I mean, do you truly care for her?"

As Naruto dwelled on it, no he didn't. Sakura was just that, a name and a pretty face that he didn't know all that much about. Whereas Hinata - well he knew quite a bit about her after all the time he had spent with her. In fact, he had been going to her home quite often. Hell, he was the one who made the deal so that her clan would let her come home. He made the arrangements to give her a place to stay when he was the one who got her kicked out of her clan in the first place. He cared for Hinata - going so far as to inconvenience his entire clan for her.

"And this other girl, the one who confessed," Keitaro asked, "What do you know about her?"

A sincere smile drew itself on Naruto's face, "Thanks, I think I know what I'm going to say now."

"Anytime," Keitaro offered, "Let's go in. It's getting late."

"So are you going to give us a clue to what you're going to say?" Hana asked curiously, a sincere need to know in her eyes. Naruto shook his head, "I think that's something I should tell her and her alone."

"Okay, I understand," Hana smiled albeit with a disappointed look in her eyes. She definitely wanted to know but it was a personal matter. And as he recalled, emotion was not something he could wear on his sleeve. As they departed into the manor, Keitaro stopped Naruto in his tracks to tell him one more thing, "Naruto, I know I said this is a business where we can't wear emotions on your sleeve. But if you truly care for a person, you'll show it to them."

With that Keitaro took his wife inside, Naruto following right behind them while pondering what Keitaro meant.

...

The following day, Naruto was awoken by the sound of knocking at his bed room door. Naruto really didn't want to get up but forced himself out of bed to find a disheveled Jiraiya dressed and packed. Before Naruto could ask why Jiraiya was at his door, Jiraiya explained, "Party's over kiddo. We need to get moving if we're going to catch Tsunade before the trail goes cold."

"Okay, just let me pack my things," Naruto answered. One glance at his clock told him the time was 7 in the morning. He cracked a tired yawn and grabbed his clothes scattered throughout the room, throwing them into his back pack. Among them was the Toad scroll he earned from Gamakichi for releasing him all that time ago. He wasn't sure if he would need it, but better safe than sorry.

Once he was all packed, he went to the entrance hall to find Jiraiya waiting there for him with Haku and Hashi-sensei. Haku wore the same calm expression on his face, as if nothing had happened. Curious as to his whereabouts the other day, Naruto asked, "Where'd you disappear to."

"Nowhere in particular," Haku admitted honestly, his tone of voice almost embarrassed, "I don't really like parties so I took walk around the village."

"Well you should've stayed, I could've used a wing-man," Jiraiya added with a devilish grin, "A boy your age with looks like yours must have the ladies throwing themselves at your feet!"

"Not really," Haku replied.

"So where are we going Boss Sakurazaki?" Jiraiya asked Hashi. Hashi covered a yawn with his hand and explained, "Business associates say Tsunade is at a tourist resort just south of here. You probably know it as the one with the famous castle."

"Sure, I know the one," Jiraiya answered. Jiraiya and Hashi locked gazes, as if trying to stare the other down and were broken from their contest only when Haku added, "We should be going."

Haku and Naruto exchanged bows with Hashi before leading Jiraiya off the premises and out of the village. From there, Jiraiya led the way towards the destination. As they walked, Naruto filled with anticipation of finally meeting with the Legendary Sucker - Tsunade.

...

**Author's Note:** That's all for now folks! My next update will be in eight weeks on Friday, March 25th. If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on the Facebook or the Playstation Network (PSN ID leo112358). Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	41. Tsunade

**Disclaimer**: Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as an animated series by Viz Media. The Art of War is a widely published text originally written Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicate, the Kaki Alliance Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Note:** Hey guys. I know it's late. As I said in my profile, certain issues with prevented me from logging in to my account and updating the fic. I apologize if this chapter isn't up to snuff because I was busy focusing on my other fanfic which is on its final chapter. I want to thank everyone whose enjoyed Oyabun up to this point and I hope you continue to enjoy all future installments. In addition, I just love all the questions I got this time around and I'll be sure to answer them. On a final note, thanks to Kells for beta-ing my chapters for me. Now on to review responses:

**Jojoma-Kitsune: **To answer your questions in order: 1- I can't tell you anything about how Hashi will handle news of the Akatsuki without giving too much away, 2- the Enkous, Kakis, and the as of yet unnamed fourth family is not important enough to this story to deserve that much information but if you really want to know: The Enkou Syndicate are based in the Land of Wind and the Kaki Alliance are based in the Land of Lightning. 3 - The first chapter pretty much showed how the yakuza handle traitors. From my research into Yakuza history; it's not very pretty.

**DarkRavie: **Hey, I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. Thanks for sticking around and reviewing for so long.

**BluCross: **Thems the way the cookie crumbles, sadly. In japanese culture, seppuku is a final act of honor after being disgraced. Japanese commanders during the second world war would often take their own lives instead of surrender. I apologized if you liked his character, though.

**Hanzo of the Salamander: **Wait no more, for here it is!

**Dan: **I thought I told you to stop internet stalking me. It's annoying. Unless this is a different Dan, then never mind, and I'm sad to see you go.

**OBSERVER01: **Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it and hope you enjoy future installments.

**Fallacies: **To answer your questions in order: 1 - Haku and Naruto's relationship is just weird like that, 2 - Hashi's feelings towards Naruto are due to something that's been repetetively hinted at but never truly explained. Specifically? Read the chapter to find out. 3 - It's one of those cultural things that I myself never truly understood. The best explanation I can think of is to think of yakuza as normal bacteria in the human body that lives in the large intestine. It's not a threat and is actually fairly helpful if left alone, so why bother doing anything at all?

**Shadow-Sensei: **Yeah, there were a lot of influences here from the Godfather, but with a more Japanese style wedding. I'm only vaguely aware of how a Shinto wedding is performed so I have to apologize if I got any of it wrong. As for the Italian parts, well...guess what Keitaro is?

**Witch Doctor Silas: **No it wont! I'll keep writing until the end of the first part.

**Yikari: **I'm glad you enjoyed the story so much and I hope you enjoy it until its conclusion.

**Victor912: **Of course dear reader.

**ElyasB33: **I'm glad you like the story and hope you continue to enjoy it. To answer your questions: 1 - The songs are 'Brucia La Terra' and an Italian version of 'Speak Softly Love', both composed by Nino Rota, the man who orchestrated all three Godfather soundtracks, but the former might be an old Italian folk song so I can't really say. 2- I can't say anything without giving too much away. 3 - Naruto's spy network consists of Haku and his water clones, the entire Kitsune Clan's elaborate network of informants, and whatever the local gossip is around Konoha. Also, happy 19th.

**Goldrune09: **No, he won't. BUt he will be. Also, my family issues have mostly resolved themselves.

And so, without further delay, I present the continuation of Oyabun.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 40: Tsunade**

"Boss, can we talk?" Keitaro asked of Hashi as he entered his now father-in-law's office.

"Of course," Hashi answered seriously. He stood beside his window with his arms folded behind him, staring off in the direction Naruto and his two compatriots had departed not too long ago. Hashi had taken a really deep liking to Naruto since they had first met, and Keitaro had an inkling he knew why, he just wished it didn't impair Hashi's judgment so much, "What's this about?"

"Thank you...for letting me marry Hana I mean. It means a lot to the both of us," Keitaro began, swallowing a lump that was beginning to form in his throat. He knew it was a sensitive subject for Hashi. One that had cost him three of his fingers as payment for keeping his relationship secret for so long. Hashi waved it off and said, "I just want to keep my children happy."

"Children, Boss?"

"I consider Naruto to be like a son, is that wrong?" Hashi asked, turning on Keitaro with a fire in his eye. It was a fire Keitaro had seen once before and was horrified of ever seeing again. The lump in his throat came back and hardened. Keitaro managed to swallow it with some effort only when Hashi looked away from him towards an old photograph on his desk, "It's just that...he's not your son."

"You're my son in law," Hashi remarked, "But don't think I won't cut you down where you stand for what you've cost me. The love of my daughter and the life of my son!"

"Boss...please, I'm sorry," Keitaro stammered, trying hard not to show the guilt that had burdened him for so long. He bowed and pleaded, "There isn't a day that goes by that I don't wish it was me instead of him. So please, forgive me!"

"Keitaro," Hashi frowned, "My son sacrificed himself for you. If my son felt your life was more valuable than his, then I will honor that sentiment."

"Sir?" Keitaro looked up at Hashi who was now returning his attention to the window, "Please, Keitaro...just get out."

...

"Say, pervy sage, what did you talk about with Hashi-sensei?" Naruto inquired to the elder sage, who was busy picking his ear with his pinky finger, "Nothing. He just wanted to give me some pointers for picking up women."

"I bet," Naruto snorted. Obviously the old man was lying but Naruto wasn't in the mood for games with Jiraiya. Jiraiya seemed to be more than willing for games on the other hands and quickly added, "But I do have a nice little trick I wanted to show you!"

"This should be good," Naruto said to himself. Jiraiya held out his right hand and produced a magnificent ball of blue chakra that spun wildly in his hands. Jiraiya turned towards a nearby tree and slammed the ball of chakra into the trunk. Surprisingly, the ball didn't disperse in an explosive force but instead carved a perfectly shaped hole into the tree in the shape of a sphere, "That kiddo, is what's called the Rasengan."

"That's great," Naruto said quietly, humoring the old sage, "What's so special about it?"

"A couple of things, like there have only ever been two people to master it," Jiraiya said cheerfully, "The Fourth Hokage and myself."

"No kidding?" Naruto said sarcastically, losing patience with the old man's otherwise strange antics. Jiraiya nodded proudly and continued on his little rant, "Oh yeah! And guess what, it's more powerful than the chidori you saw Sasuke use at the Chunin Exams."

That last bit caught Naruto's attention, 'more powerful than Sasuke's chidori'. If that was the case, Naruto wouldn't mind learning how to do it. If it really was more powerful and wasn't another of Jiraiya's bluffs. It didn't look like much and wasn't as flashy as Sasuke's chidori. Then again, that made it perfect for use as a Ninkyo Dantai. Subtle but powerful.

"Would you like to learn how to use it?" Jiraiya asked.

"I wouldn't mind knowing," Naruto answered quietly. Jiraiya proceeded to throw a water balloon at him. Naruto just barely caught it between his hands before it could burst and growled, "What were you trying to do!"

"First lesson, kiddo," Jiraiya instructed with a finger in the air, "Using just your chakra, pop the balloon."

"Doesn't sound too hard," Naruto commented, focusing his chakra into the little balloon as they walked along. It didn't take him that long to contract a head ache from focusing his chakra, but he powered through it by continuing to focus his chakra inside the ball. From there he tried to will the chakra into dissipating with enough force to destroy the balloon. After a few minutes of this, he grew impatient and stopped the exercise. Admittedly, he just couldn't deal with the headache any longer.

"This is harder than it looks," Naruto commented quietly, running a hand through his hair and massaging his temples, "How long does it take to pop?"

"It depends."

"Depends on what?"

"Whether you're doing it right or not," was Jiraiya's explanation. An admittedly short and useless explanation but an explanation none the less. How was Naruto supposed to know if he was doing it right? He didn't even know how he was supposed to burst the balloon with his chakra, or if he was on the right track, "Could I get a hint?"

"Use your chakra to spin the water really fast when you've concentrated it inside the balloon," Jiraiya hinted, "You'll want to spin it a certain way though."

"Which way is that?" Naruto inquired.

"I'll leave you to figure that out," Jiraiya smirked cunningly, much to Naruto's dismay. Naruto repeated his initial process but this time changed focus on spinning the water clockwise in his palm. Much to his surprise the ball started gaining momentum and began to wobble clockwise in his hand. He concentrated on spinning the ball harder and faster than before. The balloon shook more violently but was no closer to popping than it was before.

"Try spinning it in multiple directions," Haku suggested from beside him.

"Multiple directions?"

"That many opposing forces should break the consistency of the ball," Haku explained, "It's worth a try."

Naruto agreed with that outlook and decided to follow Haku's advice. A boy his age didn't become a jonin level shinobi for nothing. Once more, Naruto focused on spinning his chakra clockwise, but this time trying to spin the chakra in multiple directions instead of just the one. The balloon wobbled and shook violently in Naruto's hand before a tiny leak sprung from one side. Triumphant, Naruto showed the balloon to Jiraiya, "I did it."

"No... no you didn't," Jiraiya sighed, "The ball would've exploded if it was done properly. All you managed to do was get it to break."

"So now what?"

"Try and try again," Jiraiya sang to himself in an off key. He reached into his bag, and retrieved another water balloon for Naruto to practice with. It occurred to Naruto that Jiraiya intentionally packed a bag with water balloons, but he wondered if Jiraiya did this with training for himself in mind or if Jiraiya just really liked water balloons. In either case, Naruto continued to practice trying to pop a water balloon with his chakra as they continued into the next town. It distracted him long enough for him to not notice they had come into the resort town.

The streets of the resort town were packed to the brim with tourists going about their usual business. As far the eye could see, there were casinos, inns, restaurants, spas, and outdoor baths. It would be almost perfect, were it not for the group of Enkous Naruto spotted walking down the street. The one Naruto assumed to be the leader was busy hitting on an unwilling young lady who cradled a small pig in her arms.

"Leave me alone, I'm very busy," the woman insisted.

"Oh come on, baby," the Enkou leader pleaded, "I just wanted to show you a good time, is all."

"Haku, would you mind taking care of that?" Naruto pointed at the men. Haku nodded and went to work, his hands quickly moving in and out of his back pouch to retrieve senbon needles, "Excuse me, miss. Is everything alright?"

"Everything's just fine," the Enkou leader answered, "Now beat it kid. I'm flirting here."

"And failing," the woman commented. The Enkou leader frowned, "Don't be like that, baby."

"Call me baby one more time," the woman growled, much to the Enkou leader's delight, "Ooh, I like 'em feisty."

In a motion so fast Naruto barely saw it, the woman detonated a series of smoke bombs onto the ground. The obscured whatever she did next, but all the Enkous were face down on the ground when the smoke cleared. Truly, this woman was a terrifying force to be reckoned with. Before anything else could be said, the woman disappeared into the crowd and left the three of them standing at the scene. Naruto didn't like the idea of being held responsible for something he didn't do and quickly suggested, "We should probably get going before we give people the wrong idea."

"Agreed," Jiraiya nodded.

"Right behind you," Haku said.

The three of them were quick to flee the scene as a small crowd began to gather around the beaten Enkous. Once they were away from the scene, they went in search of an inn where they could spend the night. They chose a small inn on a side street that seemed largely abandoned, mostly to prevent drawing attention to themselves during their stay. Afterward, they could cover more ground if they split up in their search for Tsunade. The three of them went their separate ways and agreed to come back to the inn around sunset. Haku created several water clones and quickly scattered in various directions, while Jiraiya chose to wander off towards what Naruto assumed to be another one of those hostess clubs he was so fond off.

Naruto went the opposite direction of Jiraiya with a water balloon in hand for him to practice the rasengan technique while he was searching. He put away for later and figured he would be best off information gathering at the local casinos and back room games. The first place he stopped was a bakery presided over by an Enkou who gave him a dirty look. Naruto chose to ignore him and proceeded inside to find a young couple working hard producing the day's bread. Naruto approached the man, who appeared to be in his late teens, and promptly said, "Games?"

"Downstairs," the man answered, motioning towards a side door. Naruto went downstairs into a brightly lit basement where a small crowd had gathered around a particularly exciting game of dice. Everyone was quick to give him strange looks for joining the game despite his young age but overlooked that aspect of him when he put down a small sum of money for the games. He played a few rounds with them before starting a light conversation with them. He carried this on for a few minutes before asking, "So I hear the Legendary Sucker is in town?"

"I heard the same thing, haven't seen her yet though."

"Oh she's here. Saw her lose a whole fifteen million in a single game."

"No kidding? Man, wish I was there to see it."

"Do you happen to remember where you last saw her?" Naruto asked nonchalantly.

"Sorry kid, she left after the first game," the man answered with a shrug, "But I hear she's still in town. If you're lucky, you could just run into her before her debt collectors catch up."

"Thanks for the information," Naruto nodded towards the man. He dusted himself off and departed for the next back room joint and search for more information there. Unfortunately, it provided as much information as the last so he opted to change pace and search some of the local casinos. The first casino he decided to visit was located between an inn and an old grocery store. Pachinko and slot machines rang wildly to the delight of some happy winners. The proprietor of the casino was an elderly gentleman busy tinkering with an old pachinko machine, "Excuse me."

"Change machine is over there," the old man motioned towards a change machine on the far wall.

"I'm not here about the change machine. I wanted to ask you a few questions," Naruto explained. The old man stopped tinkering with the machine for a few seconds and turned to face Naruto, "Perhaps my mind has finally left me. You wouldn't happen to a fox of any type, would you?"

"No," Naruto answered, feeling the situation had just become hopeless. The old man shrugged it off, "No matter. Fire away oh fox spirit."

"I'm looking for a woman by the name of Tsunade, ring any bells?" Naruto asked.

"Nope, sorry."

"Right thanks," Naruto frowned. The old man wasn't of any help. Then again, confusing him with a fox spirit should have been a dead giveaway for Naruto. He proceeded out of the casino in search for a place where he could grab some lunch. As he left out the door, he heard a woman who just won another game at the slots say, "Something's wrong. I'm never this lucky."

"M'lady! We should appreciate this good fortune while we can," a familiar woman holding a pig said. Naruto wondered if this was the same woman from before but wasn't sure since he only caught a fleeting glimpse of the woman. Then again, how many women walked around cradling pigs in their arms?

"Shizune, we're leaving."

"Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked.

Naruto paused in his tracks at the sound of the name and looked over his shoulder at a young blonde woman dressed in a gray blouse and blue trousers beneath a green coat. The woman picked up her things and was followed by Shizune towards the door until Naruto stopped her, "Excuse me. Tsunade, was it?"

"Can I help you?" Tsunade asked bitterly.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto began, noticing her fidget at the sound of the name. He wondered if he had grown some level of infamy as the head of the Kitsune Clan but set those thoughts aside, "I was hoping to discuss a business proposition with you in exchange for—"

"I'm not interested in anything your kind has to offer," Tsunade interrupted him with a cold stare, "Let's go Shizune."

"It would only take a moment of your time," Naruto trying to catch her attention, "It's about the security of Konoha."

"If you're trying to extort the village, it'll never work."

"You do know what's happened to the village right?"

"The village will be fine... as long as the old man is alive, the village will recover from any hardship it endures."

"The Third Hokage's dead," Naruto said to Tsunade, hoping that piece of information would at least get a decent reaction out of her. She stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder at Naruto with a cold glare, "What do you mean?"

"Do I have your attention?" Naruto asked her seriously. Tsunade stared at him for the longest time before adding, "You have ten minutes."

"Perhaps we can talk over lunch?" Naruto insisted, only for Tsunade to turn it right back on him, "You will be treating us, of course."

"Do I have a choice?" Naruto asked rhetorically. Tsunade picked an expensive looking diner in the heart of the village. Out in front were two Kuroihi dressed in their formal black clothing guarding the front and encouraging passing tourists to try the rare foreign delicacies inside. They sat in a corner booth to avoid drawing attentions to themselves as they talked. Their waiter was an elderly man who took their orders with a smile. Naruto ordered a bowl of ramen for himself to eat while Tsunade and Shizune ordered a variety of expensive sushi, high quality beef, and various other foods Naruto was sure would put a hole in his pocket. Once their orders were placed, Tsunade asked, "So what do you mean by the Third Hokage's dead?"

"He was killed during a joint attack by Otogakure and Sunagakure," Naruto explained, "The joint operation was coordinated by a man named Orochimaru as part of a plot to destroy Konoha. The Third Hokage, may his soul rest in peace, was killed during the fighting."

"I see," Tsunade said quietly, "And the village?"

"Still standing," Naruto answered, "Sunagakure and Konohagakure signed a mutual cease fire almost immediately. Needless to say, Otogakure lost a sizable amount of its forces during the attack."

"That's good," Tsunade breathed a sigh of relief, "Now, what's this business proposition you have?"

"With the Third Hokage dead, Konoha's Village Council has tried to fill the leadership position with a candidate for the title of Hokage. Several have been named but as of now, no one has taken the title," Naruto explained, "With the village leaderless, it has been difficult to maintain a sense of order and that has interfered with our business operations to an extent."

"If that's what you can call it," Tsunade snorted. Naruto ignored the snide remark and continued, "Look, it's in the best interest for everyone involved if a Hokage takes up the mantle. The sooner, the better."

"So... what? You want me to be the next Hokage?"

"Who better to take up the mantle than a Legendary Sannin?" Naruto asked. Tsunade frowned, "There's always Jiraiya."

"He refused the position," Naruto replied, "Speaking very frankly, Jiraiya isn't the best candidate for Hokage."

"Oh, and why's that?" Tsunade demanded. Naruto wondered if he was treading dangerous territory. He didn't want to insult a sannin in front of another sannin, so he chose his next words carefully, "He has certain qualities that would interfere with leadership duties. I'm sure you know what I mean."

"Not at all," Tsunade answered. Either she was lying to toy with Naruto, or she really was an idiot. Jiraiya was a pervert, pure and simple. Could she just not see that? Plus, there was no way to keep him in check towards the Kitsune's advantage. Naruto tried to remain calm in his reply, "Of course you do. I'm sure you've known him longer than I have."

"He hasn't changed at all, I'm assuming?" Tsunade asked curiously.

"He's certainly better at what he does," Naruto answered, wondering when Tsunade would stop beating around the bush with him. He brought the conversation back into focus, "The Kitsune Clan is prepared to make a generous offer if it would help you reach your decision."

"Oh?" Tsunade teased. Naruto nodded, "Yes. As it is well known, you have a reputation for possessing a large quantity of debt. Some would say that you owe more money than exists in the world."

"What of it?"

"The Kitsune Clan would inherit all of your debt from you if you were willing to take the title of Hokage and lead Konohagakure," Naruto explained seriously, "Send any debt collectors our way and the Kitsune will gladly pay the bill."

"And the catch?" Tsunade asked seriously. Naruto knew this part would come. Explaining it would all be a matter of tact, "Assuming that much debt would put a financial strain on the Kitsune Clan. In exchange for assuming such a responsibility, all we ask is for your friendship to the Kitsune Clan every once in a while."

"Why on earth would I agree to those terms?"

"Because you would be debt free," Naruto answered, "And all you have to give in exchange is your loyalty to the Kitsune Clan."

Tsunade snickered. Then chortled. Finally she broke out into full on laughter. Naruto looked at Shizune cluelessly only to find her just as confused as he was. The little pig cradled in her arms was pushing up against Shizune's bosom, clearly horrified of whatever was making Tsunade laugh so hard. Tsunade started to calm down just as the waitress returned with their food and set it down on the table.

"What makes you think that I would agree to those terms?" Tsunade laughed, "I mean you'd have to be an idiot to agree to that!"

Naruto folded his arms across his chest and stared sternly at her. Tsunade helped herself to her food and continued, "Listen kid, those conditions are completely unreasonable. Why on earth would Konoha want a Hokage in the pocket of a boryokudan? Besides, only a fool would want to become Hokage. Thanks, but no thanks."

"I'd like to ask you to please reconsider," Naruto replied.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Tsunade said again.

"I came here today to make you an offer," Naruto answered, "Think about it. You would be free of any and all debt you've accumulated over the years. Isn't loyalty a small price to pay for it?"

"You're a criminal," Tsunade countered.

"I'm a businessman," Naruto retorted, "And this is just business."

"You're a little young to be a businessman," Tsunade commented, putting a mouthful of beef into her mouth, "And no one is going to take a kid's business seriously."

Naruto frowned. He could not afford for Tsunade to refuse the deal. He and the rest of the Kitsune were riding on Tsunade accepting the business proposition. However, he could not afford to show how desperate he was for this deal to work. Maintaining a calm and serious exposure, Naruto asked, "What do you want?"

"What do I want?" Tsunade asked sarcastically, "What I want is something you can't give!"

"Tell me," Naruto asked, "Ask me anything you want and I'll give it to you."

"Can you bring back the dead?" Tsunade asked bitterly. Naruto was taken aback by the nature of the question and wondered to himself what on earth she could possible want with such a question. Not to show how one sided he was by such a question, he replied, "That's a little bit beyond me."

"No shit, kid," Tsunade cursed angrily, taking Naruto by surprise again with her fowl language. Adopting an apologetic tone, Naruto said, "I apologize if I said or did anything to offend you. It wasn't a personal attack, this is simply business."

"Save it Naruto," Tsunade held up her hand to stop him, "I don't want to hear it."

"Try to understand," Naruto said seriously, trying to mask the pleading tone in his voice, "The Kitsune Clan is working to establish order in the village. It's in everyone's best interest that someone take charge during a time when the village is in dire need of a leader. This is in the best interest of the village and its future generations."

Tsunade ate her food silently, filling her mouth with each swallow as if to avoid answering Naruto. After a few minutes of silence, Naruto decided to help himself to some of his food. He took small bites so he could immediately swallow in the event Tsunade finally answered him. They ate in total silence, each occasionally shooting an awkward glance at the other. After some time, Tsunade finally set her plate down and opened her mouth to speak. Before she could utter a word, a certain perverted hermit sage interrupted, "Excuse me. Mind if I join you?"

"Jiraiya?" Tsunade looked up in total surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," Jiraiya smiled, "I see you've already met my body guard, Naruto."

"You associate with their kind now?" Tsunade asked him. Naruto took a bit of offense to the word their kind, but let it slide since he was still trying to persuade her to accept his business deal. Jiraiya on the other hand, didn't appear to stand for such comments, "Hey now, that wasn't very polite."

"Is there a point to all this Jiraiya?" Tsunade demanded.

"Yes there is," Jiraiya answered. Naruto moved aside so Jiraiya could have a seat in their booth, "The Village council recently nominated you to take the mantle of Fifth Hokage."

Tsunade looked from Jiraiya to Naruto and plainly stated, "I refuse."

"Tsunade please, the village needs a leader now more than ever. Especially after what happened."

"I know all about what happened Jiraiya," Tsunade replied, "Naruto here was just telling me all about the trouble that's befallen Konoha. I can honestly say that I don't care. Not after what happened."

"I see, so that's what's this is about," Jiraiya frowned. Naruto was clueless as to what was going on and had little time to dwell on it as Jiraiya was quick to ask, "Naruto. Shizune. Could you two step outside for a little bit? Tsunade and I need to talk in private."

Naruto nodded and stepped out of the booth with Shizune. The two of them, plus the pig Shizune cradled so much, left the restaurant and waited out in the front. Naruto took this chance to take out his water balloon and practice popping it with just his chakra.

...

"I see you decided to take an interest in your godson, Jiraiya," Tsunade commented as she took a sip of tea, "Fine job raising him, too. Letting him join a bosuzoku at his age."

"Don't change the subject, Tsunade," Jiraiya countered, "I know why you're refusing to become Hokage. I'd thought you'd have gotten over it after all this time."

"Drop it Jiraiya," Tsunade warned angrily.

"Look, I'm not going to lecture you and I'm certainly not going to make you do anything you don't want to," Jiraiya explained, "But the village needs you Tsunade, now more than ever. At the very least consider returning to the village and help the recovery."

"It's none of my business, Jiraiya," Tsunade replied, "I haven't been involved with the village in years."

"So you've given up then?" Jiraiya asked her curiously. Tsunade remained silent, confirming Jiraiya's suspicions, "So that's a yes. You're just going to keep up this cycle of self destruction until you're so deep in debt there's no way out."

"Don't judge me Jiraiya," Tsunade replied, "I'm not the one with the reputation as a lecher."

"We're talking about you, Tsunade. I know it's been difficult dealing with Dan and Nawaki's death. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed it, but don't take your frustrations out on the village.

They both fell silent. Tsunade looked over her shoulder towards the door, where Naruto was standing with a water balloon in his hands. She examined Naruto for a few moments and recoiled a little when the balloon in his hands sprung a leak before popping. Tsunade frowned, "You're teaching him the rasengan?"

"Yes, for his own protection," Jiraiya answered.

"He looks too much like Nawaki for my liking," Tsunade remarked bitterly, taking a deep sip from her drink

"He's a bit like Nawaki too," Jiraiya added, "I heard he wanted to be Hokage before he joined the Kuroihi."

"What changed?"

"No one's exactly clear on that part. Something about a run in with a Kuroihi big shot. He got arrested at some point for something," Jiraiya frowned, "My best guess is he found something with the Kuroihi that he didn't find in Konoha. You have to give him credit though. Now he's in charge of Konoha's branch of the Kuroihi."

"Yeah, he called it the Kitsune Clan," Tsunade said.

"You have to love his choice of name," Jiraiya commented. They laughed together momentarily, enjoying their time together like days gone by. When the laughter finally died down, Jiraiya asked, "So will you do it?"

"I'll think about it," Tsunade said, "Now if you'll excuse me, Shizune and I were off to see the castle."

...

Naruto wiped his hands on a towel Shizune provided for him. He wasn't expecting the balloon to pop at all, or at least so violently. It only got his hands wet, but the two Kuroihi guards were less fortunate. They had been soaked in water that sprayed out so violently. Naruto did apologize to them, but they seemed quite forgiving about the whole thing. As he dried himself off, Tsunade and Jiraiya emerged from inside the restaurant, "Come on Shizune, we're leaving."

"What's your answer to my proposal?" Naruto asked.

"I'll think about it," Tsunade replied.

"When can I expect an answer?"

"Give me a week to think about it. I'll be back here in one week's time with your answer," Tsunade said, "And thanks for the food. Shizune! We're leaving!"

"Yes m'lady," Shizune answered, following after Tsunade as they left. Naruto was about to chase after them but was pulled back by his collar. He turned around to see their waitress holding a bill in her hand, "Don't think you can pull the old dine and dash here."

Naruto frowned and paid the bill for the meal, totalling somewhere around 17,000 ryou. It was a sad loss for him, but what did he expect when Tsunade ordered the high quality beef? His spirits were lightened a little when Jiraiya remarked, "So I see you've passed the first step! Ready to learn the next one?"

"How many steps are there?"

"Three," Jiraiya answered, reaching into his back pack and retreiving a rubber ball, "I'm a little surprised you passed the first one so quickly. It took me a year to figure it out."

"Well the hints did help," Naruto said thankfully, "Thanks for that, Jiraiya. So what's the next step?"

Jiraiya tossed him the rubber ball and flatly said, "Pop the rubber ball with just your chakra."

...

Author's Note: That's all for now folks! My next update will be in eight weeks on Friday, May 20th. If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on the Facebook or the Playstation Network (PSN ID leo112358). Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	42. Tsunade's Choice

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as an animated series by Viz Media. The Art of War is a widely published text originally written Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicate, the Kaki Alliance Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! The school year has ended for the time being and I've finally got time to work on Oyabun, especially since Takato's Light has finally ended. However, I'm currently busy outlining my next fanfiction which, while less occupying, is taking up a bit of time. Therefore, I'm returning temporarily to my four week update schedule. Keep in mind this is temporary and will go back to an eight week schedule as soon as the school year starts again. On a final note, thanks to Kells for beta-ing my chapters for me. Now on to review responses:

**DarkRavie**: I'm glad you liked it. Wait no longer, and read the next chapter.

**OBSERVER01**: Thanks for enjoying the fiction. Feel free to read on and enjoy.

**Hanzo of the Salamander**: Seriously! How do you get those tiny little icons in your text? It's awesome!

**ZZ Top**: Maybe. I honestly will not tell until I get to that point. I will say this much: I do not believe in an over powered Naruto wreaking havoc on the world. There are enough of those stories lying around.

**Tobizaru**: Tsunade is on good terms with some Ninkyo Dantai, but not all. I may explore that aspect of Tsunade in the future, but I'm focusing on completing the story for now.

**Yikari**: I'm glad you're enjoying the story so much, although I wouldn't describe Naruto as disgusted. He's more disillusioned, something which will be explored a little in this chapter. I'd be happy to bounce ideas back and forth with you. Feel free to PM me anytime - either through the site or facebook.

**Shadow-Sensei**: Le gasp! Vanishing into smoke? We have a ninja in our midst! Anywho, I'm glad you enjoyed the story from beginning until the end and hope you'll be patient enough to read all the way to the end with me.

**Orangeman727**: To put it simply, Naruto is still Naruto. He has all his experiences as a gangster on top of all his experiences growing up as a child in the ninja academy. Ultimately, there will be changes to his personality but nothing to major. In addition, as I've said before, Naruto going crazy with power and destroying the world is a dime a dozen idea. It's not all too unique and is over explored. I'm focusing more on Naruto's development in the yakuza world as opposed to the effects of him being a boss. In that respect, I guess I'm drawing a lot from The Godfather which traces the main character's growth as a mafia boss instead of him going all powerful as a boss. Naruto won't go all powerful as he will still have some challenges ahead of him and a lot more growing up to do. I hope this clears up any concerns that you have. :)

And now, I present the continuation of Oyabun.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 41: Tsunade's Choice**

"Wow! Isn't it amazing m'Lady!" Shizune said aloud at the spectacle known for miles around simply as the castle, "You don't get to see something this amazing every day!"

Tsunade really didn't care much for the castle, and was too deep in thought to even notice Shizune was talking. She was still considering Naruto's offer and wondered if she should take him up on it. The fact that he was a kid made it hard to take him seriously, but the proposal was too good to pass up; she would be absolved of all her debt, and all she had to do was take the seat of Hokage. However, she would be indebted to the Kuroihi for the rest of her life - endangering the very principles the village was founded upon. The same principles and beliefs that her grandfather, her teacher, her little brother, and her beloved had all died to preserve. Was she desperate enough to throw all of it away and let their sacrifices be in vain?

Her attention was brought back to reality by the sudden appearance of a large white snake that brought the castle crumbling to the ground before them. All around them, people started screaming and running as the snake lurched towards them. The snake lowered its head before Tsunade and Shizune, eyeing them hungrily. It hissed aloud and breathed a foul, smelling air into their faces. Shizune threw a hand over her mouth and tightened her hold on Ton Ton, who had became stiff in her hold. Tsunade simply stared off with disinterest and asked, "Enough cheap tricks, Orochimaru."

"My, my! Such fiery passion, as always dear Tsunade," Orochimaru hissed, appearing atop the snake's head. He seemed to have aged somewhat gracefully, as if no time had passed at all for him since he left the village all those years ago. It did strike her that both of his arms were wrapped in bandages from shoulder to fingertips, and that they were causing him a severe amount of pain based on the way he spoke and his face twitched every so often. Kneeling beside him was a white haired young man wearing glasses, whom she suspected of being Orochimaru's bodyguard. Both of them bowed curtly and Orochimaru asked, "How have you been?"

"Cut to the chase, Orochimaru. I've had more visitors than I'd like today," Tsunade barked. Folding her arms across her large bosom. Orochimaru grinned, "I need your expertise in healing, dear Tsunade. My arms are dying, and only someone with as much experience as you can restore them. Of course, I am prepared to compensate in exchange for services rendered."

"You have nothing that interests me, Orochimaru," Tsunade spit.

"On the contrary," Orochimaru countered, "I know of something you've yearned for since that fateful day you left the village: your little brother and dearly beloved!"

Tsunade eyes widened, surprised but skeptical of what Orochimaru was offering her, "Nawaki? Dan?"

"Imagine seeing your two dearly departed loved ones taken before their time again," Orochimaru hissed.

"You can bring them back?" Tsunade raised her eyebrows, the expression on her face caught between disbelief and cynicism. Orochimaru nodded gleefully, "All I'll need is two willing volunteers and my arms, and you'll be able to see your loved ones again."

"Don't do it m'lady," Shizune barked, "You heard what Naruto said! Orochimaru tried to destroy the village. Helping him would only tarnish the memory of my uncle! He gave his life for Kanoha! And what about your brother! Didn't he give his life for the same reason!"

Before Shizune could go on, Orochimaru's body guard appeared behind her and took hold of her, "Please don't interrupt. Lord Orochimaru and Lady Tsunade are having a private discussion."

"Let her go!" Tsunade called out. Orochimaru nodded at his body guard, "Do it, Kabuto."

Kabuto released Shizune and reappeared beside Orochimaru, "Forgive me, Lord Orochimaru."

"Now then, Tsunade," Orochimaru hissed, "I'm afraid our time is at an end and I must be taking my leave. I'll be back in a week's time. Please consider my offer."

Orochimaru, Kabuto and the large snake disappeared into a cloud of smoke just as several of the village's militia arrived to take control of the situation. That Tsunade and Shizune were the standing before the ruins of the castle only encouraged them to think they were the ones responsible for its destruction. Tsunade and Shizune were quick to make themselves scarce before the guards could get a good look at them, fleeing the scene with the lightning speed only the shinobi have.

...

Naruto sat in the middle of the forest, powering through his pounding headache to focus his chakra into the tiny rubber ball Jiraiya had entrusted him with. From what he came to understand, this lesson was an exercise in endurance; an exercise to funnel as much enough chakra into the ball before the disorientating pain caused him to pass out. A fiery sensation ran through his hands as more chakra was funneled through his fingertips. Naruto tried to keep himself from passing out but could already feel the exercise taking its toll. The world was beginning to spin wildly out of control, but Naruto did his best to maintain his focus. The rubber ball was beginning to vibrate in his hands, "Just about there..."

POP!

The ball sprung a small leak, and Naruto watched despairingly as all the chakra he funneled into the ball flooded out. Naruto threw the ball aside and gave in to fatigue, falling backwards against a tree and sighing. He looked beside him and saw a plastic bag stuffed with more rubber balls for him to practice with along with his two katana: Kitsune and Kusanagi. From up above in the trees, he heard Haku's voice say, "You almost had it then."

Naruto smiled at Haku's arrival, "Hey Haku! Is Tsunade still in the village?"

"She's still staying in her inn with her assistant. I left two water clones with her. If she moves, I'll know," Haku reported. Naruto nodded approvingly, "And Orochimaru? Has there been any sign of him since he appeared?"

"I haven't been able to find a trace of him anywhere," Haku answered, to which Naruto clicked his tongue in protest, "How does a guy with a giant pet snake just disappear?"

Haku held up a paper bag which filled the air with the faint aroma of fried noodles, "I thought you might want some food since you've been here for the last two days."

"Thanks," Naruto replied, realizing it had been a two days since he ate anything. Haku leapt down beside him and retrieved two cups of fried noodles and chopsticks from within the paper bag. Naruto gladly took the noodles and clasped his hands together, "Itadakimasu!"

Naruto helped himself to the noodles, a welcome mix of teriyaki, beef, and broccoli. Normally, Naruto would have spat it out upon realizing there was broccoli in his food but his hunger got the better of him this time around. Naruto gulped down large helpings greedily, unaware that Haku was observing his scarred hands carefully, "You should end your training here for the day. The chakra burn is starting to take its toll on your hands."

"No way," Naruto said through a mouthful of food, "I'm close to getting it down!"

"Mastering this part of the technique won't do you any good if your hands fall off," Haku remarked, "Funneling that much chakra through your hands does the same damage as setting them aflame! Not to mention you don't have as much chakra as you used to."

"I'll be fine," Naruto declared happily, biting into another mouthful of noodles, "All I need is a little nap and I'll be fine. Besides, I've got you looking after me."

"Let me at least apply some medicine on it," Haku pleaded, retrieving a bottle from within the paper bag, "The Nine Tails' chakra won't heal you as quickly as it used to, especially since Jiraiya redid the seal."

"Thanks, Haku," Naruto smiled gleefully, as Haku poured the bottles contents onto his hands. Naruto's hands cringed in pain but he kept them under the ointment. Once Haku emptied the contents of the bottle, he retrieved a roll of bandage wrapping from his back pouch and wrapping it around Naruto's hands, "Don't worry about it, Naruto."

Once Haku finished his work, Naruto returned to his food and hungrily finished the rest of it. Once he was done, he shot up off the ground and cracked his knuckles, "Alright, back to work!"

Naruto reached into the bag and retrieved another ball to practice. He focused his chakra into the ball and waited patiently as the amount of chakra built itself up slowly. He spun the chakra around violently inside the ball, trying to create enough destructive force for the ball to tear itself apart. Just as the headache returned to his head, he felt a hole tear itself in the ball and watched as the chakra leaked out like before. Much to his surprise, the chakra didn't simply dissipate away as it did with the previous rubber balls. Naruto felt a gust of wind as the chakra shot out violently and curved through the air, transforming into blue tendrils that tore away at their surroundings. Naruto threw up his arms in defense, trying to shield himself from the dangerous blasts of chakra that whipped around them. He felt it scratch up against his body, shredding his clothes and scratching away at his body, "Grah!"

"What was that?" Haku gasped, looking on in awe at the destruction that lay before them.

"I don't know," Naruto answered, just as amazed. All of the trees around them were scarred by the escaped chakra, leaving behind splinters of wood or broken remainders of trees. Naruto took a moment to examine himself and found his clothes torn and ripped apart as if by a wild animal. The bandages that Haku just applied were also ripped apart, exposing fresh cuts on his arms. An overwhelming fatigue washed over Naruto, along with spasms of pain from his arms. Coupled with the weakness in his legs, Naruto was certain his body was taking more than it could handle.

Despite that, Naruto was curious to see if he could repeat whatever happened. Accidental or not, that technique was powerful enough to turn a small section of the forest into a clearing. He had to see it just one more time. Naruto reached for another rubber ball but found it slapped away by Haku, "I think now would be a good time to stop."

"I wanted to see it again," Naruto breathed to Haku.

"With all due respect Naruto, doing so will probably kill you," Haku protested, "You've burned through two days worth of chakra and are at your limit."

"I'll be fine, I just want to see that technique one more time."

"Forgive me for doing this, Naruto, but you need to rest."

"Doing wha—" Naruto asked Haku, who made several hand signs before white feathers began to fall all around him. Naruto had seen this technique before, during the Chunin Exams. He realized too late it was meant to render someone unconscious. The world went dark.

...

When Naruto came to his senses, he was lying on the futon in the room of the inn. His clothes had been removed and hung on the wall opposite his bed, their torn appearance reminding Naruto of the Rasengan technique gone wrong. His arms and chest were wrapped in bandages. A painful sting from his arms told him he was paying for pushing himself too far. He wished for the restorative powers of the Kitsune's chakra, which in the past allowed him to push himself farther than most people were capable of. At the same time, he didn't feel like dying because the seal that kept the fox inside him was slowly breaking. At the moment, the pain wasn't enough to make Naruto wish for death, but had he pushed himself too far earlier, he probably would've.

He scanned around the room again, spotting Jiraiya and Haku's belongings beside their futons. On the other side of the room, Naruto found his two katanas and the bag of rubber balls. Were it not for the pain, Naruto would've reached for the rubber ball to repeat his exercise but was too weary to stay awake. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall back asleep.

...

When he awoke some time later, it was to the sensation of someone changing the bandages on his arms. He opened his eyes to see Haku dressed in a casual kimono, applying more ointment on his arms, "How are you feeling?"

"Miserable," Naruto replied quietly, allowing Haku to finish working on his arms, "How long was I out?"

"A day," Haku answered, "I apologize for using the genjutsu but if I had allowed you to continue, the chakra exhaustion would have killed you."

"Don't worry about it," Naruto said, gritting his teeth against the pain as Haku applied more ointment on his arms, "Is Tsunade still in the village?"

"She was with Jiraiya having a drink the last time I checked," Haku answered, "All the same, I left a water clone with them just in case."

"Good," Naruto stated plainly, pulling himself up as Haku finished his work. He examined his arms carefully, flexing his fingers and gritting as they seared with pain at the slightest movement, "My hands are killing me."

"Are you surprised, after channeling as much chakra as you did?" Haku asked. He had a point, even if it was a point Naruto didn't want to acknowledge. Naruto reached past Haku for one of the rubber balls, but found himself grabbing Kusanagi instead. An idea popped inside Naruto's head in that instant. So much destructive power came from him accidentally popping a rubber ball, so what if he could control the direction of the blast?

Naruto stood himself up and went straight for his bag to get a fresh set of clothes for himself. He changed in to an orange business shirt, a set of black slacks with matching tie and blazer, before adjusting his goggles on his head. As Naruto fastened his two katanas to his belt, Haku asked him, "Where are you going? You're in no condition to be going anywhere!"

"Training," Naruto said and then smiled, "I just had an idea for a new technique."

"Don't make me use a genjutsu on you!" Haku warned, "I don't want to Naruto, but I will if you force me to."

"Just let me try it once," Naruto bargained seriously, "After that, I swear I'll come back here to rest."

Naruto noticed the hesitation in Haku's eyes before the teen complied, "Fine, but I'm going with you, and only one try!"

Haku followed Naruto into the forests surrounding the resort village. If what Naruto saw the other day was the raw power embedded within the rasengan, then he was sure he could find a way to control it - to direct it whichever way he chose. To unleash it from a rubber ball would be impractical since he would have to stab it to release the chakra swirling violently within and it would most certainly send his sword flying violently away from him. He would have to apply another technique, one he had thus far only seen once: the iaijutsu. He would use his scabbard like a rubber ball and force the chakra to spiral violently within it. Once it was ready, he would draw his blade and release all of the stored chakra in a powerful blast that would go wherever he aimed it. Of course, the scabbard would probably only be good for one use so he made a mental note to go get another one for it as soon as he was feeling better.

Of course, something so powerful would definitely leave a lot of destruction in its wake and draw a lot of unwanted attention, so Naruto wanted to be as far from the resort town as possible. Once they were a good thirty minute walk away from the village, Naruto mentally prepared himself for what he was about to do. He wrapped one hand around Kusanagi and the other around the scabbard. If any scabbard were to be ruined, he would prefer it not belong to his favorite sword. He channeled his chakra into the scabbard, imagining it spiraling around in a variety of ways, but always clockwise.

He felt the effects immediately. The scabbard began to vibrate violently in his hands, as the chakra fought violently to escape. Naruto pushed hard against his katana to keep the sword from shooting away like an arrow and letting all the chakra leak out prematurely. Naruto allowed the chakra to concentrate and gain momentum. He counted to ten in his mind, trying with all his strength to keep the chakra from leaking out and the sword from flying away. Once he got to ten, he aimed the scabbard at the nearest tree and drew the Kusanagi.

BOOM!

In one smooth motion, the katana left its scabbard and all the chakra blasted out in force. Naruto felt a kickback as the chakra forced its way out in the direction the scabbard pointed. It spread out in serpentine tendrils, cutting down closer trees and splintering the distant ones. Once the chakra dissipated, Naruto looked on in awe and pure joy. His idea worked. He was able to direct the blast of the chakra! Granted it still spread out much more than he wanted, it still reduced the tree he aimed at into a stump surrounded by chips of wood which used to be its trunk.

He was about to let out a squeal of joy before he suddenly felt drained. He sank back and groaned as the world became unsteady. He reached for the nearest thing that would support him, and it turned out to be Haku. With an apologetic look, he murmured, "Sorry Haku."

"Don't be," Haku smiled joyfully, "Congratulations, Boss Kitsune. You've created your own technique."

"I did, didn't I?" Naruto chuckled happily, "Can we keep this to ourselves?"

"Agreed, let's head back to the inn," Haku said, taking Naruto's arm around his shoulder and helping him walk back to the inn. When they got within sight of the inn, they found Shizune waiting out front with her pet pig wrapped firmly in her arms. The pig squealed at the sight of them, and Shizune looked up to see the cause of her pig's screams. She sheepishly greeted them, "Hello."

"What brings you here?" Haku asked curiously, to which Shizune replied, "Master Jiraiya had a little too much to drink so Lady Tsunade thought she should bring him back here. But what happened to you?"

"Training," Naruto answered.

"Too much training," Haku added, "He's exhausted a lot of chakra trying to master the Rasengan."

"But that's an A-Rank technique!" Shizune gasped in surprise, "Master Jiraiya is really teaching you that?"

"Unfortunately," Haku said, "Naruto was too stubborn to know his limits. He insisted on giving it one more practice."

"Let me take a look," Shizune insisted, setting the pig down on ground and assisting Haku in laying Naruto down on a nearby bench. She undid the bandages on Naruto's hand and examined it carefully, turning it over every which way. Shizune's hands started to glow a blue aura which she ran up and down Naruto's hand in a circular pattern.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked.

"Using my chakra to accelerate your recovery process," Shizune explained, "It should heal your injuries, but it won't replace the chakra you've lost in your body. You still need time to recover."

"That's amazing," Naruto said, noting the pain in his hands start to disappear. Once Shizune finished healing him, she replaced the bandages on his arms and explained, "Okay, that should do it."

"Where did you learn to do that?" Naruto asked.

"Lady Tsunade taught me everything I know," Shizune said, "She's been teaching me healing techniques ever since she started dating my uncle."

"You're uncle?" Naruto asked, "I wasn't aware she was seeing anyone."

"She's not," Shizune stated quietly in a low whisper, "My uncle died a long time ago, he was killed during a mission."

"Oh," Naruto felt guilty for having brought the subject up and quickly apologized to Shizune for being an idiot, "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"That's alright," Shizune smiled weakly, "I'm not upset, but Lady Tsunade... deep down, I don't think she ever really moved on. I'm sure his death still haunts her."

"Is that why she's no longer with Konoha?" Naruto asked, to which Shizune shrugged, "You'd have to ask her."

As if on cue, Tsunade emerged from within the inn patting her pant legs and muttering something about Jiraiya vomiting. Shizune took up her pet pig and happily greeted Tsunade with a grin, "M'lady, look whose here."

"Oh, it's you," Tsunade said dismissively as her eyes came to rest on Naruto. Naruto noted that she was a little red around the face and wondered if she was blushing or simply drunk. She looked at him for the longest time before she turned to Haku, "And who are you?"

"I'm his personal body guard. My name is Haku," Haku greeted Tsunade. The elderly sannin laughed to herself, "Jiraiya's bodyguard has a bodyguard?"

"Have you given my offer any thought?" Naruto asked, to which Shizune asked, "I have, but I still have four days to consider. But I never liked to talk about business. Why don't we go out to eat? It's almost time for dinner."

"M'lady, Naruto needs some time to recuperate," Shizune protested, "He's lost a lot of chakra practicing Jiraiya's rasengan technique."

"Oh?" Tsunade grinned mischievously, "Well part of the recovery process is eating a balanced diet. So let's go."

"I get the feeling this is going to hurt my wallet," Naruto frowned, pushing himself up despite how incredibly tired he felt. Naruto stumbled for a moment, before his legs gave way and he fell over into Haku. Haku caught Naruto and helped to hold him up, "Do you think you'll be alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Naruto replied. He pushed himself off of Haku and took a moment to regain his balance. He followed after Tsunade and Shizune who had already gone ahead, with Haku just behind him in case he fell over.

They chose to eat at a small diner just down the block, much to Naruto's relief since he wasn't sure how long he would be able to walk straight. They were seated in a corner booth, and Naruto was the first to take his seat. He could feel the fatigue starting to overtake him but he fought to stay awake while he looked over the menu he was provided. He was starving and was desperate to eat anything, but wasn't sure he'd be able to stay awake long enough to do so. He hoped the waitress would return quickly. The sooner they got their meals, the sooner he could lie down and rest.

"So, Boss Naruto," Tsunade asked, "Let me hear it!"

Naruto noted the stench of alcohol in her breath was strong enough to make him heave. Naruto concluded she was drunk, which would explain why she was acting the exact opposite of the way she acted when they first met. He held back the nausea and asked, "Hear what?"

"How did a kid become the head of Konoha's most powerful yakuza?" Tsunade hiccuped. Naruto bit his tongue to prevent himself from snapping at the word yakuza. He allowed himself to calm down before answering, "It was a tie vote. I only succeeded the leadership because I beat the other candidate in a duel."

"But you see, that's just what I don't get," Tsunade answered, "It sounds like you wanted to be part of those boryokudan."

"We prefer the term Ninkyo Dantai," Naruto clarified calmly, despite being caught in a furious battle with both fatigue and frustration, "And it's really not all too different from being a shinobi."

"How so?" Tsunade asked, her eyes starting to slide in different directions putting the most bizarre look on her face. Naruto held back his laughter and replied, "We both make money through questionable means, remove threats, try to maintain stable relationships with other organizations, and other stuff. If there's any difference, it's that Ninkyo Dantai don't try to sugar coat the way things are."

"What makes you think things are sugar coated?" Tsunade inquired quietly. Naruto frowned and cast his eyes downward, quietly contemplating how to word what he was going to say next, "What if I told you there was a country dominated by an organization that keeps the people impoverished and kills anyone who gets in their way. Now assume their leader died and all the high-ranking members of the leader's organization tried to seize control for themselves because there wasn't an heir to assume leadership. Now let's say that if any of these guys take control of the organization, things will become exactly like they were under the previous leader. The people were too terrified of the previous leader to do anything about the guys fighting to become the new leader. Someone had to do something... had to do a lot of things he wished he hadn't to change the country for the better."

Tsunade and Shizune were staring at Naruto quietly, "That person killed people, ordered people to be killed, and got people killed he didn't mean to be killed. But in doing so, the people found the strength to reclaim their country."

"You're talking about the Land of Waves, aren't you?" Tsunade asked. Naruto nodded and continued, "Back when I was in the ninja academy, we were taught the basics techniques of fighting and ninjutsu, the history of the village, and the philosophy of the 'Will of Fire'. Yet, they missed out on one of the most important aspects of being a ninja - a lesson they never teach you."

"And what might that be?"

"How to take another person's life," Naruto answered, "How to watch the light leave another person's eyes, see them draw their last breath, and carry the blood on your hands."

He reclined in his chair and adjusted his goggles. Tsunade watched him intently with a stern expression before angrily replying, "You know what else they don't prepare you for? Watching the people you care for die. It's one thing to take a stranger's life, and another thing entirely if the blood on your hands belongs to someone you cared for."

Naruto wondered if this had anything to do with the uncle Shizune mentioned earlier. It appeared as though Naruto touched a nerve with Tsunade and she seemed slightly offended by what Naruto had said. Nevertheless, Naruto wasn't going to make a scene in a public place so he opted to diffuse the situation, "It's a pain no one should ever have to endure."

"That's the nature of the world," Tsunade scoffed, "The world will always know the pain of killing and of losing loved ones."

"You have a chance to change that," Naruto pointed out, "There are a lot of people still physically recovering from the attack on the village. If you went back, you could help them. Then, some people might not lose the people they care for."

"It won't change a thing for those who've already lost the ones they love," Tsunade retorted bitterly.

"But it will for those who haven't yet. Isn't it your duty as a healer to do that much?"

"Why are you so fixated on convincing me to return to the village?" Tsunade demanded angrily. Truthfully, Naruto wanted to fulfill his plan and keep the Kitsune as the Kuroihi's Crown Jewel in Konoha. However, another reason came to mind. Sasuke had been gravely injured a few days ago by his older brother, the same older brother that begged him to protect Sasuke. And Shinji… Naruto swallowed a lump that formed in his threat and quietly said, "I made a promise to protect someone in the village. A promise I almost failed because he was severely injured. And I think you're the only one that can heal him."

"I see, so you want me to heal one of your friends, is that it?" Tsunade hiccuped with a quaint smile. Naruto nodded, "The old man... I mean the Third Hokage once said if we cannot work towards protecting the next generation; passing down the hope of peace and prosperity, then how can we claim to be doing what's best for the village?"

"He did say something like that, didn't he?" Tsunade mused to herself.

"And I believe it," Naruto added enthusiastically, "At least, Hashi-sensei does. He saved me by taking me in when the entire village planned on killing me. I owe him my life, and he's done a lot for me ever since I've met him."

"Now you're starting to sound like that Idate-kid who always hangs around Jirocho," Tsunade snickered.

"Who?" Naruto asked. Tsunade waved him off and continued to laugh to herself quietly, "It's nothing. I think I've heard enough. Come on Shizune, we're leaving."

"But m'lady! We haven't even ordered yet!" Shizune whined. Tsunade grabbed her assistant by the hand and proceeded to drag her out of the booth. Before they could leave, Naruto said, "I expect to hear an answer from you in four days, Tsunade."

"You'll get your answer, don't wworry!" Tsunade said back to him, before she hobbled out of the bar in a drunken stupor. Shizune kept close pace behind her, standing ready to catch Tsunade should she fall over and hurt herself. Even though he hadn't eaten, Naruto knew the fatigue was going to get to him before the hunger so he pushed himself out of the booth and steadied himself against the table. As he took his first steps, he lost balance and fell backwards into Haku. Once again, Haku caught him and assisted Naruto back to the inn and into a futon. Lying down in his futon was a passed out Jiraiya who snored away rather loudly, which did little to stop Naruto from falling into the welcome darkness of sleep.

...

Four days came and went at a snail's pace for Naruto, who spent three of them in bed recovering from the chakra exhaustion. Naruto would have gone to practice his new technique and the rasengan more, but every attempt he made was foiled by Haku who was keeping a close watch on Naruto the whole time. Even Jiraiya was taking care to make sure he got plenty of rest, summoning a small toad to alert Jiraiya in case he planned on leaving. Although Naruto was starting to feel a lot better, he was denied the freedom to stretch his legs and was kept inside the small room at all times.

The fourth day was especially nerve-racking for him, since today was the day Tsunade was supposed to have an answer for him. He paced up and down his room anxiously, wondering to himself where Tsunade was and if she had simply skipped town. Haku watched him pace up and down the room and commented, "I'm glad to see you're feeling better, but please lie back down and rest. You need to give yourself time to recover the chakra you've lost."

"I'm too anxious to sit still right now, Haku," Naruto answered, "Tsunade could arrive any second now."

Naruto wondered at the moment if this was how Hinata felt, waiting to hear what he would say to her when he returned. He would give her his answer as soon as he got back, but first he would have to take care of business. Get Tsunade to take a look at Sasuke, call a meeting with the council men to confirm Tsunade's return, and so on. And that was all assuming she accepted his business offer. If she didn't, Naruto didn't know what he would do.

...

In another part of the resort town, in an alley near the ruins of the old castle, Tsunade waited patiently for Orochimaru and Kabuto showed up. She didn't really need to give it much thought to know what she would do considering the two offers she received. Seeing the two people who were most important in her life brought back from beyond the grave, or living debt free. Both were enticing, but Tsunade knew what she was going to do the moment both deals were presented to her. Asking for seven days to consider was really more of a way to keep Orochimaru and the kid on the edge of their seats.

Kabuto and Orochimaru arrived with a lot less flare compared to their previous entrance, appearing casually before her in a cloud of smoke, "It's good to see you dear Tsunade. I hope you've given my offer some thought."

"I have," Tsunade said, "Just promise me you'll leave the village alone after this."

"Of course," Orochimaru sneered cunningly. Tsunade nodded and adjusted her sleeves, "Let me see your arms."

"You won't regret your decision, my dear Tsunade," Orochimaru hissed pleasantly, extending out his arms with some difficulty. He cringed as he stretched out his arms, as if it caused him incredible pain. Tsunade focused chakra in her hands to begin the healing process, and moved her arms over Orochimaru's. Just before she could do what she was about to do, she sensed a dangerous intent. Tsunade leapt backwards, away from a series of kunai that scattered along the ground between herself and Orochimaru.

"Kabuto! What is the meaning of this?" Orochimaru growled at his assistant, who landed between Orochimaru and Tsunade with a kunai in hand. Orochimaru looked from Kabuto to Tsunade and immediately laughed, "How could I have been so blind? In my desperation, I almost missed such an obvious trap."

Tsunade clicked her tongue angrily and reached into her sleeve to reveal a scalpel that she threw on the ground. She had planned on cutting Orochimaru's neck while she pretended to heal his arms, disabling him as soon as he was down and finishing him here. She had no intentions on accepting his deal because she knew Orochimaru well enough to know when he lied. He would not keep his word and Tsunade would not let what Dan and Nawaki's deaths be in vain. They died to protect the village they loved, and Tsunade would not let that go to waste. Plus, she wasn't going to let the Third Hokage's murderer walk away.

Tsunade focused chakra into her hand and curled it into a fist. With a mighty swing, she tunneled her fist into the ground creating a shockwave that trailed its way towards Orochimaru and Kabuto. The sheer force of her punch created a deafening roar and extreme resonance within the earth. The duo separated instantly, just as the ground gave way where they once stood. Tsunade chased after Orochimaru, grabbing her scalpel and appearing right next to him. With a swift jabbing motion, Tsunade's scalpel pierced the skin of Orochimaru's arm, causing him to howl in pain. Before Tsunade could deal another blow, Kabuto appeared before Orochimaru with a blowpipe and spat out darts at her. Tsunade was able to block all the darts with her scalpel and took a swing at Kabuto, nailing him square in the stomach and sending him flying backwards into the forest.

Tsunade proceeded to pursue Orochimaru through the woods, following him further and further away from the resort town until they arrived at a large clearing. Once they were at the clearing, Tsunade made another attempt to strike Orochimaru but found her fellow sannin was able to keep significant pace ahead of her. They continued their game of cat and mouse until Kabuto reappeared to aid his master. He revealed a kunai from his leg holster and began to attack Tsunade, forcing her to break off from her pursuit of Orochimaru.

Tsunade had years of combat experience under her belt, but time had slowed her ability to perceive and react to attacks. She was powerful but no longer in her prime. Whereas Kabuto was young, and had the vitality of youth on his side. Although it was an even match at first, Tsunade no longer had the amazing stamina of her younger years. She was starting to slow down as their fight progressed and eventually Kabuto was beginning to nail hits on her. Tsunade tried to put some distance between herself and the young shinobi, but was unable to produce any significant gap that he couldn't close. As the fight wore on, Tsunade collapsed, knowing full well that the fight wouldn't end well for her. Perhaps taking on one of her old colleagues and his assistant by herself wasn't such a good idea, but odds said she wouldn't live long enough to regret it.

Tsunade's legs buckled under the weight of the fight and she fell to the ground, unable to carry on. Kabuto approached her slowly, spinning the kunai between his fingers with the expression of amused contemplation - as if he were considering what to do with her. Just then, two copies of Naruto's body guard appeared. Kabuto was able to dispatch one very easily with a kunai and it dissipated into a puddle of water.

"Water clones," Tsunade muttered to herself, wondering how long they had been observing. The second one waved a massive sword over his head and brought it down with enough force to break the ground around it. Kabuto was able to side step the attack but was unable to block the swift kick from Haku, who sent him sliding away towards Orochimaru.

...

Haku looked out the window suddenly, an expression of unease on his face. Naruto noticed Haku's distress and asked, "What happened?"

"One of my water clones was just dispatched," Haku explained, "Tsunade just tried to take out Orochimaru and one of his bodyguards by herself."

"What!" Naruto stood up instantly, both annoyed and surprised that Tsunade would try anything like that. She spent several years on the run and was suddenly fighting her problem as opposed to running from it?

"It gets worse," Haku added, "She's losing!"

"Do you know where she is?" Naruto demanded, to which Haku nodded. Naruto grabbed his two katana and the toad scroll from his bag. If there was ever a time he was going to need it, this would be it. As he and Haku ran out of the inn, he instructed, "Get two water clones: one to find Shizune, and one to find Jiraiya. We'll need them if we're going to beat Orochimaru."

Haku complied and created two water clones who split in separate directions. Naruto and Haku took off into the woods, racing to Tsunade's aid and hoping they didn't arrive too late.

...

**Author's Note:** That's all for now folks! My next update will be in four weeks on Friday, June 17th. If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on the Facebook or the Playstation Network (PSN ID leo112358). Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	43. Battle of the Three Sannin

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as an animated series by Viz Media. The Art of War is a widely published text originally written Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicate, the Kaki Alliance, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! I've gotta be honest, these last four weeks have been a nightmare. In the past, it was possible to update every two to four weeks because of all the free time I had. Had being the operative word. I thought Takato's Light was the reason it took me so much time to work on my stories, but it seems that's been proved otherwise. Coupled with my computer troubles, and my four week productions schedule turned into a rush six days. I'm afraid I'll have to go back to the standard eight week update schedule to free up some more time to work on this story. On a more positive note, the sequel to Takato's Light (Takato's Light 2: Hikari's Hazard) will be ready for launch in exactly eight weeks. I hope you guys are all excited for that. In addition, this chapter is nothing but one action packed battle! Kinda. Finally, I want to thank Kells for betaing my chapters for so long. Thanks Kells, I couldn't have done it without you. Now for some review responses:

**OBSERVER01:** Thanks for the kind words and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

**Yikari:** As I said before, it was an honor and privilege to bounce ideas back and forth with you. I'll try to get in contact with you more often, I just don't have the free time that I used to have. :(

**DEBob19:** That's actually an excellent idea. I'll have to figure out how to implement that for the future. Thanks for the tip.

**Shin'en of the Chaotic Destiny:** It seems like your enjoying yourself. I'm glad you are and I hope you continue to enjoy this story into the future.

**Hanzo of the Salamander:** Wait no more, for the continuation of Oyabun is ready for your perusal! :)

**Anonymous:** To everyone who reads these fan replies, for a funny comment, go into the review section and read what this guy had to say. Isn't it hilarious when people troll? Seriously, I'll wait! Just read what this guy had to say! ...(Pause)...Oh man, can you believe there are people out there who are trapped with one dimensional modes of thought, so frightened by the concept of extra-dimensional patterns of thinking that they view any foreign idea that doesn't agree to their norm as subpar to their own intelligence? It's hilarious!

**Akiho Tonoshi:** Could you be a little more clear? Perhaps I'll get into contact with you at some point in the future. It intrigues what you mean by no emotion. Do you mean I don't emphasize what the character's are feeling or that the story just seems kind of straight forward? Maybe I'll just contact you. You've peeked my interest.

**Jin-of-Ice:** I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope you'll continue to enjoy it in the future.

**RaiOokami:** Thanks for the kind words. As I've said in the past, life has returned to a state of normalcy but we know things will never truly be the same, since we're all still trying to understand why.

**Shadow-Sensei:** May the next life reward your loyalty, Shadow-Sensei-sama! And don't worry about having to analyze every little detail between chapters. Knowing that there are people who enjoy reading my stories for leisure is enough.

And now, I present the next installment of Oyabun.

Edit: Made some grammatical corrections to things I missed

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 43: Battle of the Three Sannin**

Tsunade watched the fight carry on while she caught her breath. The water clone was putting up an impressive fight against Kabuto, holding its own for a surprisingly long period of time. Kabuto must have realized physical attacks wouldn't work against the clone and leapt into the air. At the height of his jump, Kabuto threw two scalpels at the water clone. With a wave of its sword, the clone dispatched both of the scalpels and returned Kabuto's attack with several senbon needles.

The senbon needles hit their mark and Kabuto disappeared into a puff of smoke, replaced by a log that fell to the ground with a thump. Before the clone could react, Kabuto appeared before it and impaled it with his own hand before slashing it repeatedly with his scalpel. The clone dissipated into water, leaving behind nothing but a puddle. Kabuto advanced on Tsunade with Orochimaru staying close behind him.

"My my, that certainly was interesting," Orochimaru commented, "And it bought you some time, dear Tsunade. Unfortunately, we have to deal with your betrayal. Do you know what I do to traitors, Tsunade?"

"Enlighten me," Tsunade scoffed bitterly, reaching her hand slowly into her pocket for another scalpel. If she was lucky, she would be able get in at least one strike to wound Orochimaru. It was highly probable she wouldn't survive. Though, if she could take him with her then it would worth it in her eyes. Tsunade counted the seconds as Orochimaru drew closer, tensing up inside as she itched for the chance to stab Orochimaru. A hit in the neck would be the most fatal. She would only get one shot at this so she would have to make it count.

Just as Orochimaru came within arm's reach, he stopped. Tsunade was at a loss for what Orochimaru and Kabuto did next. They leapt backwards away from Tsunade, as if horrified by something behind them. Tsunade looked over her shoulder and saw a mist start rolling over her, enveloping the entire area. The mist was thick, so thick that Tsunade lost sight of both of Orochimaru and Kabuto. She could only hear them shout aloud, "Come out! We know you're there!"

"Are you alright Tsunade?" Naruto whispered, appearing beside her. Emerging in front of the two of them was his bodyguard, Haku, who chose to conceal his face beneath a fox mask.

"You?" Tsunade gasped in surprise.

"Shizune and Jiraiya are on their way," Naruto offered, "You can still fight, can't you?"

"Yeah," Tsunade rose to her feet, assuming a fighting stance, "You have the worst possible timing. I had a clear shot at Orochimaru."

"I apologize," Naruto said with a large, confident grin, "But the fact is you're more valuable alive than dead. It won't do the village any good if you die."

"Nobody said I accepted your offer," Tsunade frowned. Naruto drew his katana from its sheathe and raised it level to his head, adjusting it so it ran parallel to the ground, "Whose talking about that? I'm talking about beating up Orochimaru."

"The fabled child leader of Konoha's Kitsune Clan and the apprentice of one of the Swordsmen of Kirigakure join the fray," Orochimaru commented, "How interesting, but it won't help you, Tsunade. Kabuto, deal with our two guests. I'll handle Tsunade."

"Lord Orochimaru, are you sure? You're in no condition to fight!" Kabuto retorted.

"A ninja doesn't need ninjutsu to win a battle," Orochimaru cackled.

Tsunade instantly charged Orochimaru, throwing her full strength into each punch and kick she directed at the snake man. Orochimaru slithered through each attack, twisting his body at impossible angles to dodge each attack Tsunade sent his way.

As Tsunade furiously tried to nail a hit on Orochimaru, she saw Naruto and Haku engage Kabuto in a two on one duel. It would be a difficult fight for those two. Kabuto had already demonstrated he was able to hold his own against a sannin, so there was no telling what kind of chance those two had. Tsunade brought her attention back to her fight with Orochimaru. Without his arms, there was little he could do offensively but Tsunade couldn't help but feel he was baiting her. Tsunade watched his movements carefully, hoping to read what Orochimaru was planning beneath the facade of defense.

It didn't dawn on her until it was too late that Orochimaru was trapping her. By that time, Orochimaru revealed a concealed kunai within his sandals. With a well timed kick, Orochimaru sent the blade flying into the air and he caught it with his mouth. He charged Tsunade immediately, and the two switched roles in their lethal duel. Tsunade refused to take the defensive, knowing that it would instantly devolve into an endless cycle of attack and retaliation: Orochimaru would try to stab Tsunade, she would dodge and try to return the attack with a kick, and Orochimaru would dodge.

Not wanting to start a battle of attrition, Tsunade went ahead and focused all of her chakra into her hands for her next attack. Using the thick mist to her advantage, she kicked several stones in one direction and ran the opposite way. Her feint worked and she was able to strike Orochimaru with her precision attack, Ranshinsho.

Orochimaru fell to the ground and broke out into a fit of violent twitches and flailed around. Tsunade had used her chakra to disrupt Orochimaru's nervous system, scrambling the routes motor neurons used to transmit messages through his body. In essence, his body was now confused and was frantically sending messages to the wrong body parts, causing him to suffer what resembled a seizure. It would buy her at least a minute to figure out what to do about him.

Through the dense mist, she could hear the fight going on between Kabuto, Naruto and Haku. It was hard to tell who was winning based on sound alone, but she wagered Haku and Naruto weren't holding back in the slightest.

She returned her attention to Orochimaru, retrieving another scalpel from within her coat sleeve and prepared to deliver the finis king blow. She would be able to end it here; protect the village and avenge the Third Hokage. She raised the scalpel over her head and took aim, thrusting the scalpel with a downward motion to finish off Orochimaru. Just before the blade made contact, Orochimaru kicked his feet up and sent the blade spinning away.

Tsunade gritted her teeth in annoyance and leapt away as Orochimaru got to his feet. He had regained control of his body sooner than she anticipated, and was caught off guard by what Orochimaru did next. He spat a dark red liquid out of his mouth and onto her coat sleeve. Tsunade took one glance down and instantly froze at the unwelcome sight. It had seemed Orochimaru intended to buy himself more time by biting his tongue and spitting its contents onto her.

Blood.

Tsunade's worst fear, going all the way back to the death of her beloved. He had been fatally injured during a fight with enemy shinobi, cutting open several vital arteries. It wasn't the immediate injury that killed him but the destruction of his kidneys and severe blood loss from those injuries. It was a slow, agonizing death that nobody deserved. Tsunade had been there, trying desperately to heal his injuries to little avail. She could heal injuries, cure poisons, mend broken bones, and accelerate the body's natural healing process. Despite all her abilities, she could not replace lost blood nor could she produce organs from thin air. Without his kidneys, what little blood he had left would fill with a dangerous amount of toxins and wastes that the body could not process.

She could still remember his blood soaked body, her hands running up and down his chest, focusing her chakra onto his wounds, and his last agonizing moments. For him and for her. His last words were that he couldn't die yet as he had too much left to do. It was his dream to become Hokage and become strong enough to protect the village and its people from any danger. It was the same dream her little brother shared. Until the day he accidentally set off an explosive during a fight with a team of enemy shinobi. His body had been so horribly mutilated that it was beyond recognition.

Since those days, Tsunade was horrified to death by blood. She was unable to move for the very sight of it brought her back to the day her beloved died, a grim reminder of her powerlessness at the time.

Paralyzed by fear's icy grip, Tsunade didn't even notice Orochimaru start beating her senseless with powerful kicks that sent her further and further backwards she was too preoccupied by the sight of blood, reliving the horrid events of the night Dan died so many years ago.

"Tsunade!" Naruto's voice called out to her from afar; it was so faint, she barely heard it. Tsunade momentarily became aware of the world around her. She looked up. To see Naruto with using his katana to parry Orochimaru's kunai knife, "What are you doing?"

"Na...ruto?" Tsunade managed to murmur at just a whisper. Naruto looked back at her with a fire in his eyes, "Snap out of it!"

Naruto swung his sword back against Orochimaru and sent him reeling away. Naruto quickly resheathed his sword in its scabbard, and wrapped his hands firmly around its handle. Through the mist emerged several clones of Haku, each engaged in heavy combat with Kabuto who held his own fairly well against them. Haku's water clones ushered Kabuto in Orochimaru's direction and once the two were close together, they found themselves surrounded by several mirrors made of ice, each containing a reflection of Haku.

"Yes, it worked!" Naruto cheered excitedly, pounding his fist into the air. Tsunade watched in awe at the strange jutsu that had trapped Orochimaru and Kabuto within. Kabuto was quick to try a fireball technique to melt the ice mirrors, "Katon: Gokyaku no Jutsu!"

Kabuto breathed a ball of flame onto the mirrors to little effect. Haku's mirrors withstood the effects of the attack and he gloated, "Don't bother. No one has ever survived this technique."

A barrage of senbon needles came at Orochimaru and Kabuto from all sides, leaving them nowhere to hide. Tsunade watched as the attacks seemingly hit their mark, swarming the two men in needles. For a moment, it seemed the fight had ended as both Kabuto and Orochimaru sank to the ground. Tsunade was amazed at how easily the duo had claimed victory at first, unable to believe a child yakuza and a chunin ranked teen managed to outwit a Sannin and his bodyguard. Her surprise turned into despair when she watched their bodies turn into a pile of dead snakes, and realized Orochimaru and Kabuto had escaped.

She found out where in an instant, as a giant purple snake with horns on its head appeared from underground and smashed through all of the ice mirrors. Haku was thrown violently out of one of the mirrors and landed beside her, disbelievingly commenting, "So powerful."

Instantly, Haku fell unconscious. Naruto looked from Haku to the giant snake, which came clearly into view as the mist started to disappear. Tsunade concluded Haku made the mist and had passed out from using too much chakra. Between water clones, the thick mist, and the ice mirrors technique, she would be surprised if the teen had any left.

The giant snake turned its eyes upward to Orochimaru and Kabuto who were riding atop its head, "Orochimaru? You dare summon me!"

Kabuto and Orochimaru whispered something to each other, which only served to anger the snake, "SPEAK WITH YOUR FORKED TONGUE!"

"I thought you might enjoy some fresh meat, Manda," Orochimaru grinned deviously, "Three morsels now, with one hundred more later."

"I don't care for your bargains Orochimaru," Manda hissed, "But I haven't tasted human in some time. I will enjoy devouring their corpses."

Naruto was all that remained, standing between Tsunade and Manda who lowered his head for Orochimaru and Kabuto to step off. Orochimaru cackled to Naruto, "Do you honestly think you can stand alone against us? Your friend was the superior fighter between the two of you and he was easily dispatched. What chance do you think you have?"

"Naruto! Run!" Tsunade managed scream out at the boy, "You'll die if you try to take all three of them on by yourself."

"Don't underestimate me!" Naruto growled, wrapping his hands firmly around his two katana grips, "I'm not backing down! I swear on these blades that I will protect you Tsunade with everything that I have! For the village! You can count on it! I always keep my word!"

Tsunade was surprised, looking on at Naruto in awe. For a moment, he reminded her of Nawaki and Dan who had both sworn to protect the village with everything they had. She had seen what had happened to them because of it. She couldn't bear to see another person befall that fate and she pleadingly begged, "Don't be an idiot! Grab Haku and run!"

Naruto ignored her and kept his ground between herself and Orochimaru. Orochimaru looked on with quiet amusement and observed, "I believe that's my sword that you are using. Kabuto, please be so kind as to retreive Kusanagi!"

"Over my dead body!" Naruto challenged the snake user.

"With pleasure!" Kabuto roared, charging Naruto. Time seemed to have slowed down; Tsunade watched in utter horror as Kabuto closed the gap between the instantly. He had focused chakra into his hand, creating a chakra scalpel. Normally, it was used as a healing device to close wounds but in the right hands it could a deadly weapon that ruptured internal organs without penetrating the skin. In pure horror she screamed, "Naruto!"

"Kenton: Rasengan no Ken!" Naruto cried out, unsheathing his blood red katana from its scabbard to release a powerful blast of chakra. The chakra arched out and weaved in all directions, forming razor sharp tendrils that sliced through the air at high speed. The blast was so powerful that it flung Kabuto away and tore his clothing apart, leaving only the tattered remains of his pants and his gloves. At first, Tsunade was stunned by the power Naruto had unleashed, until she saw that the attack appeared to be a double edged sword that also hurt the user. His suit had taken significantly less damage but there was still tearing and ripping along the seams and edges of his coat, shirt and pants. Naruto sank to one knee and resheathed his katana, wrapping both hands firmly around his other katana.

"I see you still have surprises left," Kabuto commented, "But I won't fall for that attack again, and it seems like you only have one more in you. That gives me the tactical advantage."

Once again, Kabuto disappeared at high speed and jabbed Naruto hard in the gut. Naruto cringed at first, sinking onto both of his knees with his hands wrapped firmly around his stomach. One hand worked its way up to his mouth, as he wretched up blood that splattered onto the ground. For a moment, it appeared as if Naruto was smiling at Kabuto's attack. Then she understood why, as Naruto pulled a scroll out from inside his coat pocket and opened it. There was a large puff of smoke followed by the sound of metal impacting metal and the crack of bones. As the smoke cleared, Tsunade a human sized orange toad dressed in samurai armor knock Kabuto back several feet with a swift punch.

"Gama?" Tsunade whispered quietly as Naruto pulled himself to his feet and hopped atop the giant toad. This boy had the ability to summon the toads? And out of all the toads, Gama? The scroll must have allowed him to use a probationary summon since it took a lot of skill just to summon one of the younger toads. To summon Gama was certainly beyond him. From atop Gama's head, Naruto taunted with a smug grin, "What were you saying about a tactical advantage?"

"I was saying that size matters!" Kabuto leapt back atop Manda's head, just before the snake raced into battle. Gama hopped out of the way just as Manda's head smashed into the ground. Gama landed on the snake's back and leapt towards Orochimaru and Kabuto. At the height of his ascent, Gama grabbed Naruto and threw him straight at the duo. As Naruto dove towards them, he wrapped his hands tightly around his katana handle. When Naruto was within a few feet of them, he drew his other katana and unleashed another blast of his Rasengan no Ken. As it flew out, the emerald blade actually caused the chakra from the blast to change color with it. The resulting green shockwave knocked Kabuto and Orochimaru off Manda's head and threw them apart.

Gama went after Orochimaru while Naruto ran after Kabuto. Kabuto pulled himself off the ground just in time for Naruto to plunge his katana into his chest and out his back. Kabuto staggered from Naruto pulling the blade out of his back, and stepped away from the boy in a daze. It didn't take long for Kabuto to recover and send Naruto away with a fierce roundhouse kick. Naruto hit the ground with a thud, but quickly got back up on his feet despite his injuries.

"You can give quite the beating, can't you?" Kabuto noted, zigzagging his way to Naruto and uppercutting the boy into the air, "Well, I can give it right back!"

Naruto was thrown high into the air but Kabuto refused to end it there. He followed Naruto upwards and proceeded to knee the boy in the stomach, sending him crashing into the ground. Naruto tried to get back up on his feet but was unable to get off his knees. While Naruto was busy recovering, Kabuto took his chance to heal his wounds. On the opposite of the battlefield, Manda snake had wrapped its tail around Gama and squeezed tightly until Gama disappeared in a puff of smoke. Naruto was easily overpowered by Kabuto, who kicked the poor boy while he was down before taking the katana out of his hands.

Tsunade wanted so badly to help but couldn't find the will to move her body, still frozen in fear by the presence of blood on her body. But if she was going to help him, she would have to do it soon. If she delayed any longer, Naruto would share the same fate as Nawaki and Dan. Tsunade refused to be powerless to save anyone again. As Tsunade stretched her hand out as if to reach Naruto, she noticed that she had risen to her feet. She didn't know when she had, but she was not about to question it. If she was going to save the boy, she would have to act fast.

It was just in time too, as she noticed Orochimaru and Kabuto were standing over Naruto's motionless body. Orochimaru was holding the Kusanagi, an emerald katana with a golden hilt. Orochimaru held the katana in his mouth and shifted his head so that the tip of the blade was aimed straight at Naruto's chest. Orochimaru cackled triumphantly and prepared to strike Naruto in the chest with the katana.

Tsunade acted quickly and kicked off one of her shoes, swinging her leg so that the shoe flew away and knocked the katana out of his mouth. Orochimaru was caught off guard by the attack and looked over his shoulder to see Tsunade, "I see you're moving. Finally overcome your fear of blood?"

"Something like that," Tsunade spat, removing her green coat and cracking her knuckles together. She would need to use everything in her power if she was going to challenge Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Manda. Tsunade formed a series of hand signs and focused her chakra to undo a special seal she had specially created for such an occasion. This seal stored chakra in a certain part of her body, which by now had certainly built up into a large reservoir that could amplify all her attacks ten-fold. With the last hand sign, she broke the seal and cried, "Infuin: Kai!"

In seconds, Tsunade felt the chakra course through her body, reinvigorating her. She rushed Orochimaru and Kabuto right away, dealing each of them a punch square in the chest. They both went flying but Tsunade didn't end it there. Tsunade chased after both of them, leaping high into the air to deliver a swift kick downwards, hitting Kabuto in the head and sending the man head first into the ground. She spun around and grabbed Orochimaru's arms, twisting them at an impossible angle before drop kicking the snake man in the back and pile driving him into the ground. Orochimaru howled in pain from the attack, mostly in response to the way Tsunade rotated his arms. Orochimaru hit the ground with a crash, creating a respectably large crater in the ground where Tsunade hit him.

Manda watched from afar, seemingly enjoying the beating Orochimaru was taking until something possessed the snake to act. Tsunade saw Manda coming and buried her feet into the ground, shifting her weight to meet the snake head on. With an earth trembling crash, the snake rammed Tsunade at top speed and pushed her back several hundred yards before coming to a stop at the end of the battlefield. The two grappled momentarily, Tsunade's hands clenching the snake's head firmly while Manda continued to barrel into her. After a few seconds where the fight appeared to go either way, Tsunade was able to use the snake's incredible size against it, taking a step back and rotating her body so that the snake continued onwards until it crashed into the ground.

Knowing the snake would not be down for long, Tsunade bit the tip of her finger and ran a series of hand signs before slamming her fist into the grouund, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Focusing all of her chakra into the ground, Tsunade summoned a giant white slug with blue markings known as Katsuyu. The giant slug towered as high as Manda, albeit more robust and not as long. Tsunade leapt atop Katsuyu's head while Orochimaru and Kabuto rejoined atop Manda, the two forces staring each other down.

"M'lady, how may I be of assistance?" Katsuyu asked politely, her two antennae like eyes rotating so that they could meet Tsunade.

"I need you to break off two copies to attend to Naruto and Haku," Tsunade instructed, "Carry them out of the area while I channel my chakra to heal them."

"What about them?" Katsuyu's eyes turned on Manda, who bore his teeth angrily at Katsuyu. Tsunade cracked her knuckles together and ordered, "Deal with Manda. Orochimaru and Kabuto are mine!"

"Mind if I get a piece of this action?" Jiraiya called out. A large shroud of smoke appeared beside Katsuyu, which cleared to reveal a large orange toad that dressed in a blue vest smoking a large pipe. Tucked beneath its large white belt was a tanto concealed within a wooden sheathe. The toad took a deep inhale from his pipe and exhaled a large flume of it from his nostrils into Manda's face. Manda started coughing and hacking uncontrollably, hissing angrily at the giant toad.

"Jiraiya! What took you?" Tsunade demanded.

"Sorry, m'lady," Shizune appeared alongside her apologetically, "It was hard to tell where we were with all the dense fog."

"Never mind that," Tsunade dismissed, "Look after Naruto and Haku."

"Yes, m'lady," Shizune bowed out before she leapt away. As instructed, Katsuyu produced two smaller versions of herself which carried the unconscious Naruto and Haku away from the battlefield as Shizune ran alongside both of them.

Jiraiya and Tsunade stood one end of the battlefield while Orochimaru stood on the opposite end, overlooking the battlefield from atop their massive summons. The giant toad was the first one to speak, musing to himself, "I was told that Gama was summoned with a scroll by someone who hadn't signed a contract to fight Orochimaru. I didn't think that someone would be fighting Manda as well."

"You're as stupid as you are ugly, Gamabunta!" Manda hissed angrily, "I've never had toad before! I wonder how it tastes."

"I'm sure it won't be as good as the new snakeskin belt I've been wanting," Gamabunta laughed aloud.

"Enough Gamabunta," Jiraiya said, "This may be a two on one fight, but numbers won't make the difference in this fight. Orochimaru is still dangerous, even without his jutsu."

"Care to explain what he means by that Orochimaru?" Manda demanded from the man. Orochimaru ignored the question, and told Kabuto, "Get the Kusanagi."

Without a second thought, Kabuto raced off Manda's head to retrieve the emerald katana which landed on the far side of the battlefield, away from Kabuto.

"No, you don't!" Tsunade growled, running to intercept Kabuto before he laid a finger on the katana. As soon as Tsunade hit the ground, Manda and Gamabunta leapt after each other. Gamabunta drew his sword and sliced at Manda. Manda ducked under the giant blade and moved past the giant toad to wrap himself around Katsuyu, "I'll take care of you first!"

Manda's grip on Katsuyu was powerful, bulging her eyes and face out just from how tightly he squeezed. Unfortunately for Manda, Katsuyu simply broke apart into thousands of tiny slugs which scattered away to reform Katsuyu a safe distance from Manda. At the same time, Jiraiya and Orochimaru were busy trading hits with one another. Jiraiya had a slight advantage since he still had his ninjutsu and was quick to press it.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Jiraiya declared, creating two physical copies of himself which proceeded to overwhelm Orochimaru with superior numbers. Manda grew agitated with the number of people on his head and flicked it back, throwing everyone off in the process - Orochimaru included. As they fell through the air, Jiraiya's clones and Orochimaru grappled with each other.

The first clone wrapped himself around Orochimaru, constricting his movements, while the second clone created a rasengan to drive into him. The fight should have ended there with Orochimaru being destroyed by the rasengan, were it not for Orochimaru's uncanny ability to spin his head at an impossible angle and vomit up a sword that pierced the first clone in the head. The clone disappeared into a puff of smoke. Free to move, Orochimaru spun back around and stretched his neck several feet to pierce the second kage bunshin in the chest. The second clone disappeared, leaving Orochimaru free to deal with the real Jiraiya who ran his hands through a set of hand signs, "Gamayudan!"

Jiraiya spat out a thick, oily liquid from his mouth that hit Orochimaru square in the chest. The liquid stuck onto Orochimaru, binding him and limiting his movement. The substance was so sticky that Orochimaru found himself struggling to move. Jiraiya ran his hands through another set of handsigns and spat a ball of fire from his mouth, aiming it straight at the liquid which covered Orochimaru, "Katon: Endan!"

The fireball ignited the substance instantly, setting Orochimaru aflame. Orochimaru howled in pain, as Jiraiya looked on.

In another part of the battlefield, Tsunade and Kabuto were fighting each other fiercely. Tsunade jabbed at Kabuto, as the man ducked and weaved left and right to avoid her hits. Tsunade tried to focus her attacks, and used several feints to bait Kabuto into moving where she was going to hit, only for him to move out the way before her fist could land a hint.

She was running out of time. The one side effect, in fact the fatal flaw of the Infuin: Kai, was that the overflow of chakra would eventually drain her body. By enhancing her abilities significantly, she was putting more strain on her body than it could handle and she would feel those effects as soon as the Infuin: Kai wore out. She had slowed down significantly as a result of focusing some of her chakra on the recovering Haku and Naruto, which meant she wouldn't be able to do as much damage as normal. All the same, it would be enough. If she could land just one hit and incapacitate Kabuto, it would be worth it as far as she was concerned.

"Tsutenkyaku!" she roared, smashing her leg into the ground with such force that it shattered the ground around her and knocked the giant summons off balance momentarily. Kabuto had fallen to the ground and Tsunade saw her chance. She rushed Kabuto and kicked him high into the air with swift upper kick. Kabuto had braced himself for the impact but was still sent high into the air in what she could only imagine was a painful experience. Not stopping there, Tsunade followed him high up into the air unleashed a furrow of blows on Kabuto. She counted the number of hits she landed on the man, sure that each one was more than sufficient to kill him.

She finished her combo by pile driving him into the ground with what would have been a fatal blow. Tsunade was sure she had won and reveled in her victory momentarily. At least, until she watched the body dissolve into a group of snakes that scattered throughout the clearing. Her Infuin: Kai wore out at the same time as well and her body instantly sank to the ground, feeling fatigued beyond compare. On her knees, Tsunade scanned the battlefield around her for some sign of Kabuto.

Even if she did spot him, she wasn't sure she had it in her to avoid the attack. In order to maximize her chances, she would have to stop transmitting her chakra to both Naruto and Haku. She was sure they would be alright as long as Shizune was with them, but there was no guarantee that Kabuto wouldn't target them next. She disrupted the chakra flow to the boys, and felt a small burst of energy. Not enough to bring her back to her previous fighting level, but certainly enough for her to stand a chance.

As Tsunade continued scanning her surroundings, the giant summons continued their brawl around them. Manda was slithering back and forth across the battlefield, avoiding all of the acid spewing out of Katsuyu's mouth, "Zesshi Nensan!"

The acid was so powerful that it melted rock and corroded the natural plant life into withering shrubbery. At the same time, Gamabunta was using his blade to swing away at Manda who just barely managed to avoid being hit. After a few moments of staying on the defensive, Manda switched to the offense and wrapped himself around Katsuyu to disable her from attacking. As expected, she stopped spewing out her acidic slime and broke apart into thousands of tiny slugs. With Katsuyu momentarily out of the way, Manda was free to deal with Gamabunta. Manda charged the giant toad head on with his mouth wide open for attack.

Gamabunta ran several hand signs and cried, "Gamayudan!"

A blast of oil shot out of Gamabunta's mouth and covered Manda. Gamabunta then took his pipe and threw some of its contents at the giant snake. The snake was aflame instantaneously, falling to the ground and writhing for a few moments. Gamabunta replaced his pipe in his mouth and took a long deep breath from it. Manda would not have fallen so easily, and Gamabunta's suspicions were confirmed when the fire died down and left only the blackened remains of burnt snake skin.

Gamabunta felt the ground beneath him start to shake, and toad quickly leapt into the air just as Manda emerged out of the ground beneath him. Manda whipped his tail and wrapped it around Gamabunta's leg, bringing the colossal toad crashing to the ground with a powerful crash. Gamabunta was unable to move as Manda wrapped himself around the toad's body body and squeezed tightly.

Gamabunta was constricted, unable to move any of his limbs and left to the mercy of Manda. By that time, Katsuyu had already reconstructed her body and spewed out another blast of acidic slime. Manda was too busy constricting Gamabunta to notice that Katsuyu was attacking and instantly wretched in pain as the acid covered his massive body. Manda writhed and twisted uncontrollably, trying to rub the acid off any way he could. In the process of doing this, he loosened his grip on Gamabunta enough for the toad to use his sword and bring it down upon Manda's head. Manda hissed in pain again, unable to move his head but still writhing uncontrollably in pain from the acid.

With a loud booming voice, he cursed, "Damn you Gamabunta! Orochimaru! You should pray we never meet like this again."

Manda disappeared into a cloud of smoke, leaving Orochimaru and Kabuto alone to stand against the other Sannin and their summons. Jiraiya watched as the fire that burned Orochimaru died down, leaving behind nothing but a small burnt patch of land and skin.

"He got away," Jiraiya noted, folding his arms and looking around him to see the battle over. Neither Orochimaru nor his assistant were anywhere in sight. He dismissed Gamabunta as Tsunade did the same with Katsuyu. The two giants disappeared into clouds of smoke, leaving behind their summoners to regroup in the center of the battlefield.

"Did you see where he went?" Tsunade asked, to which Jiraiya shook his head, "No, Orochimaru must've escaped when I blasted him with my toad oil and fire bullet."

Tsunade stamped her foot hard onto the ground, "Dammit, Kabuto got away too."

"You really gave it your all," Jiraiya commented.

"I was planning on stopping him here," Tsunade explained, "I was hoping that if I took him out, he wouldn't make any more attempts at the village. Plus, I wanted to avenge the old man."

"You should know better than that, Tsunade," Jiraiya replied, "Revenge leads down a dark path; one that destroys everyone who walks it."

"Heh, you're starting to sound like the Third," Tsunade laughed, "Are you sure you don't want to be Hokage?"

"Never mind that. Let's check on Naruto and Haku."

"They'll be alright. Shizune's taking care of them now," Tsunade pointed out. Jiraiya frowned, "That's not what I'm worried about. I'll explain as we go."

...

The world came into view for Naruto slowly and painfully. Everything was a bright, hazy blur that blinded him. His entire body ached, and it didn't take him long to remember why: Orochimaru's assistant had beaten him pretty badly. He was just barely able to put up a fight against the man, whom he recognized only as the man who tried to blow him up while he was disguised as Yahiko. If he remembered correctly, Orochimaru called him Kabuto.

On the plus side, he found out that his new technique worked like a charm. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like there was enough force as Kabuto was still able to beat him despite being hit by it twice. His technique destroyed a small section of the forest, but Kabuto took it twice like it was nothing. Naruto would have to work on concentrating the chakra in each blasts to intensify their power, so that he could beat his opponent if he ever met anyone that strong again.

Naruto took a moment to take in his surroundings. He noticed his shirt was removed and that bandages covered his entire torso. Off on the far side of the room, he found both of his katana laid on the floor next to his bag and other belongings. If they were here, that meant he was at the inn. It was just a question of how he got there.

"You're awake, thank goodness," Shizune's voice said beside him. Naruto tilted his head slowly to the side and saw Shizune kneeling beside him with her pig cradled in her arms, "I'm glad to see you're alright."

"How long was I out?" Naruto asked.

"Two days," Shizune explained.

"Where's Haku?" Naruto asked.

"He was woke up a little while ago," Shizune smiled, "He stepped out to use the bathroom."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, pleased to see his friend was alright, "What about Tsunade?"

"She's alright," Shizune answered, "But she's been acting funny ever since the fight with Orochimaru. What exactly happened before we got there?"

"I don't really remember," Naruto groaned, "It's all kind of hazy."

"Tsunade says Kabuto beat you pretty hard," Shizune added, "But that you managed to hold your own for a while."

"Don't remind me," Naruto frowned, trying to sit up only to fail from the incredible amount of pain that surged through his body. Shizune giggled at his efforts and stood up, Well you should get some rest for now. Tsunade says we're leaving as soon as you're ready."

"So that means she's refused my offer," Naruto frowned, defeatedly.

"Oh, no," Shizune said, "She means we're all going back to Konoha."

"You mean—!"

"Yep," Tsunade appeared at the door, leaning against its frame with her arms folded across her large bosom, "I've accepted the title of Hokage. I've already sent a message ahead of us to inform the village council that we'll be returning as soon as possible."

"And my proposal?" Naruto inquired curiously, this time forcing himself to sit upright despite the incredible pain. Tsunade nodded, "Against my better judgment, I've decided to accept your proposal. But just so we're clear, I'm accepting your offer so that the village doesn't become burdened with the debt I've built up over the years. You'll pay back ever last cent of that debt for me. In exchange, I'll do you one favor within reason for every hundred million yen you pay back. You're not buying my loyalty, and you're not getting anything else from except that. Take it or leave it."

"I believe we have a deal," Naruto answered happily. It wasn't the deal that he wanted but it was better than returning to Konoha empty handed. The Kuroihi would have the Hokage in their pocket for a very long time, if the rumors were true about the grandiose amount of debt she had. Naruto was confident about the future ahead, certain the Kitsune and the Kuroihi as a whole, would be well to do for a long time. But above all else, Naruto was excited about the prospect of seeing Hinata.

...

**Author's Note:** That's all for now folks! My next update will be in eight weeks on Friday, August 12th. If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on the Facebook or the Playstation Network (PSN ID leo112358). Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	44. Kitsune Dominion

**Disclaimer**: Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as an animated series by Viz Media. The Art of War is a widely published text originally written Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicate, the Kaki Alliance, the Shirotsuki Clan, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi Ryouke, Kuroihi Yamato, Kasen Eiji, Yagami Shinji, Utawa Miji, Doragon Gan, and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Note**: Hi everybody! How's everybody feeling today? I hope you're doing well because I know I am. Mostly. Anyway, I feel you should know this chapter was a lot of work. More work than I originally planned. Why? Because I wrote five different versions of this chapter before finally settling on the one I felt worked the most. I'd like to say thank you to Kells, as always, for editing my chapters for me. Especially since she had to deal with five different versions of the story along with providing some outside perspectives on a tired genre. And now, on to some review responses:

**DarkRavie:** I'm glad you liked it. Please feel free to read and enjoy in the future.

**Yikari:** We had a very interesting dialogue going for the last couple of weeks. I hope you're having luck with your story and will be happy to provide more help should the need arise.

**Hanzo of the Salamander:** Wait no longer, for here it is.

**OBSERVER01:** I'll admit, the last chapter wasn't my best work. All the same, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Good work.

**Roboguy45:** Good question. Next question, please!

**Woodshop:** I'm glad you caught that about my name. Most people never seem to notice, so it makes me happy when ever somebody does. Thanks for making my day! :)

**Shadow-Sensei:** Thanks for enjoying the story so much. unfortunately, it is my plan to not have a next life for I plan to achieve Nirvana and become one with the Buddha or Vishnu or however else that works.

**Jjones987:** Thanks, I'm glad you thought so.

**Tikitorch559:** I can't tell if that's a flame or an intelligent remark. In either case, I'll say that Inari was something of an oversight in that chapter so I can't really make excuses.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 43: Fox Dominion**

They set out for Konohagakure early in the morning and arrived just before sunset. It only took a day's worth of travel time to reach the village, traveling at a shinobi's run. Granted, they were were slowed down because Naruto couldn't run as fast as the others and had to stop every so often to catch his breath. Once the village came into view, Naruto sent Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Shizune ahead to the hospital. He didn't want to stir up any doubts concerning Tsunade's candidacy for Hokage and returning to the village with the head of Kistune Clan would certainly damn her chances of gaining approval from the village council.

After waiting a half hour outside the village gate, Naruto and Haku followed the others into the village. As usual, the gate was presided over by several of the village shinobi and their guard dogs who barked at them ferociously. One of the shinobi patted the dogs on the head to calm them down while another approached them to ask the usual questions, "Name, country of origin and purpose for coming to the village?"

"Uzumaki Naruto, Land of Fire, I live here," Naruto said rather plainly. He was glad he didn't have to lie to get through the main gates anymore, but it was still a hassle all the same because the entire village was aware of who he was. The guard was no exception to that fact, clicking his tongue in disgust and rolling his eyes, "What about you?"

"Just call me Haku," Haku answered briefly. The guard was clearly annoyed by Haku's brief answer, angrily demanding, "I'm going to need more than that before I let you in to the village."

Immediately, Naruto ran a finger along the edge of his collar and saw the guard with the dogs give him a subtle nod. The guard loosened his grip on one of the dog's leashes and it ran off instantly into the busy streets of the village. The guard groaned in disbelief, saying, "Dammit, not again! You two just go."

The guard then immediately chased after the dog and disappeared into the crowd. Naruto nodded at the guard who released the dog in thanks. The guard returned the nod with one of his own, running a finger along the collar of his uniform. Naruto and Haku arrived at the hospital entrance to find Tsunade and Shizune waiting for them outside. Jiraiya on the other hand was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's pervy sage?" Naruto crossed his arms seriously, "Is he flirting with girls again?"

"They say old habits die hard," Tsunade frowned, "So where's this friend of yours?"

"Let me show you," Naruto led the way into the hospital. They signed in at the reception area before heading upstairs to the second floor of the hospital. He took them past a nurse's station where a man adorned in a black suit was busy talking to the nurse. As soon as the man saw Naruto, he straightened himself out and bowed, "Boss Kitsune."

Naruto went past him and continued to a room on the far end of the hall, to a door presided over by two more men in suits armed with wakizashi. One leaned out an open window rolling a cigarette between his lips while the other sat on a fold up chair with a box of rice balls on his lap. The two saw Naruto coming and were quick to jump to their feet, the smoker spitting his cigarette out the window while the other put away his box of rice balls. One bowed while the other held the door open for Naruto, allowing him and Haku to enter but stopping Shizune and Tsunade.

"It's alright, they're with me," Naruto explained to the guards. The guards hesitated at first but let the two women pass. Inside, they found Shinji sitting in bed, hooked up to an IV drip and several machines Naruto couldn't possibly begin to understand. Shinji lay in the bed, his face bruised and his nose crooked from the beating he had taken. A medical shinobi stood at the foot of his bed, jotting down some notes on a clipboard. Without looking up at the visitors, he said, "I'll be out in a minute."

"Let me have a look at that," Tsunade asked, yanking the clipboard out of the medic's hands and flipping through the paperwork swiftly. The medic was taken aback by Tsunade's presence, saying with a surprised tone, "Lady Tsunade!"

"That's my name," Tsunade replied, "Significant trauma to the tibia, mandible, and temporal bone. Septal cartilage disfigurement...this looks pretty routine."

"The Legendary Sucker?" Shinji asked, a look of surprise on his face. He looked over at Naruto in disbelief and asked, "You found her?"

Before Naruto could answer, Tsunade had given the clipboard back to the medical and cracked her knuckles, "Alright let's do this!"

"Lady Tsunade, what do you-" the medic was cut off by Tsunade, who pushed Shinji back down onto the bed and channeled chakra into her hands. She ran her hands over Shinji's body; healing bruises, and fixing his nose. As she worked, Naruto overheard the medic murmur something about watching the greatest medical shinobi in the village at work. He wondered if Tsunade truly was such a great medic, but knew it was of little importance next to what he needed Tsunade for. Once Tsunade finished, Shinji sat back up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" Naruto asked.

"My nose doesn't hurt anymore," Shinji admitted, pushing himself up and trying to stand up. He wobbled for a moment before sitting back down, "Guess I need to get used to walking again, though."

"I'm glad to see you're alright," Naruto smiled genuinely at the Saiko-komon, who returned the gesture with a nod, "Thank you."

"I hate to ruin the moment," Tsunade spoke up, "But is there anything else you need me to take care of? I still need to meet with the village council."

"Right, sorry," Naruto apologized, "There's still someone else we need to see. We'll talk later Shinji. I want to go over some details with you."

"Of course," Shinji answered. Naruto led the way out of the room and towards the nurse's station.

...

In another part of the hospital, Hinata and Sakura sat quietly around a bed occupied by one Uchiha Sasuke. Sitting on the bedside table was a small vase with daffodil brought in by Sakura and a rose brought in by Ino. Sasuke had been unconscious for nearly two weeks and the details concerning the matter were sketchy at best. Gai-sensei, a jonin in charge of an older team of genin, was the one who brought Sasuke in and he could only guess as to what truly happened. From what Gai could piece together, Sasuke's older brother, Naruto, a sage by the name Master Jiraiya, Haku, and another shinobi Gai didn't recognize were all involved somehow. Beyond that, Gai couldn't provide any more information since he arrived after Sasuke was unconscious. Apparently, Sasuke's older brother and the unnamed shinobi were trying to abduct Naruto - and that was all the information Gai knew, or at least all the information Gai was willing to share.

Sakura was certain there was more to this story than Gai let on, and could only guess as to what that was. Had Sasuke witnessed a gang deal gone wrong? That wouldn't explain what Sasuke was doing so far from the village. Sasuke did mention sometimes that his main goal in life was to kill a certain man. Could he have meant his brother? Why would Sasuke want to kill his own brother? On that note, why was Sasuke's brother trying to abduct Naruto? He was the head of the local yakuza, sure, but did that make him so valuable as a target? There were just too unanswered questions for Sakura to make sense of any of it.

At that moment, the door slid open and the last person Sakura expected walked through the door. Coming through the door was none other than Uzumaki Naruto and his bodyguard Haku. Sakura felt embittered at the sight of Naruto, clenching her hands into fists and leering at him. If Naruto saw the anger on he face, he clearly didn't care as he simply made room for the next person to come in. It was beautiful blonde woman, with the prettiest hazel eyes one had ever seen dressed in a gray blouse and blue pants under a green jacket. Beside her was a younger dark-haired lady dressed in a dark blue kimono with white trim cradling a pig in her arms.

"Here he is. Think you can fix him, Tsunade?" Naruto asked the blonde woman, who instantly went over to the foot of Sasuke's bed and began reading his chart, "So this is the famous Uchiha. Any idea what happened to him?"

Naruto paused, the look on his face suggesting he was trying to remember something. After a moment of silence, Naruto shook his head, "I'm...not sure."

"His older brother probably used the same technique he used on you," Haku suggested. Naruto scratched his head cluelessly while Tsunade said aloud, "Looking at these reports, it looks like he had a very powerful genjutsu used on him."

"Excuse me," Sakura chimed in, "Who are you?"

"This is the Legendary Sannin Tsunade," Naruto introduced the blonde woman, "And this is her apprentice, Shizune. Tsunade, Shizune, these are Sakura, Hinata, and the one on the bed is Sasuke."

"Nice to meet you," Shizune waved at the girls while Tsunade barely glanced up from the chart, "Hi."

"It's an honor to meet you Lady Tsunade," Hinata stood up from her chair and bowed. Sakura quickly did the same, remembering Lady Tsunade from her academy days. Tsunade was a powerful medical kunoichi whose innovations during the last great shinobi war were one of the reasons Konoha won.

"So can you heal him?" Naruto asked Tsunade again.

"We'll found out in a second," Tsunade performed a series of hand seals and concentrated chakra into the tips of her fingers. She tapped Sasuke on the forehead and stated, "That should do it."

At first, there was nothing. Then, Sasuke's eyes crept open and stared up blankly at the ceiling. He sat himself up and looked around him in bewilderment. With a hoarse voice, he said, "Hinata? Sakura?"

"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed out happily, wrapping her arms around Sasuke in a loving embrace. The weight of Sakura throwing herself onto Sasuke knocked him back down onto the bed with a loud thump. The room went silent as Sakura broke out into joyful tears for Sasuke, overwhelmed with relief that Sasuke was going to be alright.

"Well my work here is done, let's get going Shizune," Tsunade said as she walked out the door. Naruto and her apprentice immediately followed after, and Haku joined them momentarily afterwards. After a moment's embrace, Sakura finally released Sasuke and wiped the tears from her eyes, "I'm glad you're alright."

Sasuke could only look at her indifferently, unmoved by Sakura's heartfelt display. He took another glance around the room, before his eyes widened in anger. Sakura was taken aback by the scowl on Sasuke's face, unable to believe that the boy she admired so much was capable of looking so...evil. Sakura watched as Sasuke tried to push himself off the bed, only to stumble and fall back.

"Hold on, Sasuke," Sakura begged, "You shouldn't pushed yourself too much."

"I wasn't strong enough," Sasuke muttered bitterly, "I couldn't even touch him."

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked anxiously, "Who couldn't-"

"My brother," was all Sasuke would say.

...

The following day, Naruto accompanied Tsunade and Shizune to the village council meeting where Tsunade was supposed to accept her nomination. Naruto followed behind them from a safe distance away to avoid hurting her candidacy. If people saw her with him, the council might rescind her nomination and Naruto couldn't have that. Tsunade becoming Hokage was paramount to the Kitsune sealing their position in Konoha. However Naruto couldn't vote so he planned on doing the next best thing; convincing others to vote for Tsunade in his place.

It didn't take them long to reach the Hokage Tower and find the conference room where the village council met. Standing just outside the conference were three of Konoha's elders, whom Naruto recalled as Danzou, Koharu and Homura from the memory Itachi had shown him. Danzou approached Tsunade first, indignantly stating, "So you've returned to the village after all this time."

"Good to see you too, Danzou," Tsunade smiled at Danzou, causing the man to grimace. Danzou's eyes shifted over to Naruto and his expression quickly changed to one of contempt, "Why are you here?"

"I'm just here to ensure that there is a Hokage by the end of the day," Naruto answered honestly, hoping Danzou would be unable to make any kind of connection to Naruto's true intentions. Danzou looked from Tsunade to Naruto and replied, "Council meetings aren't open to the public and you wouldn't have a vote even if they were."

"I'm not here to vote," Naruto stated, "I'm just here to show my support for Tsunade, to ensure that she becomes Hokage. After all, the village really needs a leader right now. Someone who can bring hope to the village but still keep with the philosophies of the Third."

"I see you're backed by disreputable characters, Tsunade. I hope this isn't a reflection of the company you keep," Homura noted, folding his arms across his chest. Tsunade frowned, "Don't you trust me?"

"When you're backed by him?" Homura asked sarcastically. Speaking on Tsunade's behalf, Naruto pointed out, "I'm sure you'll find Tsunade suited to the title of the Hokage."

"And if we don't?" Danzou eyed Naruto with hostility. Naruto felt now was a better time than any to play his hand, but he would to do it without threatening them. Admittedly, that's what he was doing but he needed them to think otherwise. Trying to play things tactfully, Naruto stated, "That would be quite a problem wouldn't it? Thankfully that's not the case, otherwise Konoha would have quite a scandal on its hands."

"What are you talking about?" Koharu demanded.

"Hypothetically, if certain information were to get out concerning a secret order given not too long ago," Naruto explained, "And this is just hypothetical, but public knowledge of this information would certainly cause quite an affair."

"And what order might that be?" Danzou asked with a smile. Naruto could only guess he was trying to play innocent but continued explaining, "It's come to my attention that a massacre with only one survivor was conducted under orders. Orders given in secret by some high ranking officials."

Danzou's eyes narrowed in suspiscion, "Do you have any evidence of this?"

Naruto found himself laughing. He didn't have evidence to prove any of it, except for Itachi's word. How could he have made such an oversight? He had been too confident in the information Itachi gave him, and this was the price he paid for it. He would have to skirt the question all together if he was going to convince to vote for Tsunade. Naruto's mind raced, trying to come up with an answer that was vague enough to convince them without actually answering their question. He tried to calm himself down to clear his thoughts, bringing some miso ramen to mind to help calm him. Unfortunately, thinking about ramen did nothing to calm him down. Perhaps the pressure of dealing with three of the village's elders was getting to him.

Naruto's mind raced even faster, trying desperately to come up with an answer without sacrificing his position. And then Hinata came to mind. Oddly enough, thinking about her calmed him down. Then Naruto was struck with a way to tackle the question without exactly answering it. With a confident grin, he replied, "Are you worried? That sounds like an admission of guilt."

"I have no idea what you're talking ab-"

Danzou was cut off by Homura putting a hand on his shoulder. Danzou looked over at Homura, to find Homura shaking his head incredulously. Danzou clicked his tongue angrily and turned away from them all; everyone watched as Danzou walked into the conference room, his face heavy with defeat. Homura looked from Naruto to Tsunade and nodded his head, "You have our support."

"Thank you," Tsunade bowed to the council members. Everyone but Naruto went into the conference room. Naruto didn't go because he had secured Tsunade's victory. Danzou was perhaps the only real threat to this plan, given his strong opposition to the ideology of the Second and Third Hokage. Tsunade was undoubtedly going to follow that philosophy as well, not that it mattered. He just needed a Hokage he could control.

...

A week passed and everything had gone exactly as planned. After a near unanimous vote, Tsunade was elected the Fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. From what Naruto understood, only Danzou opposed her candidacy. Two days after the election, the gang war between the Kitsune and their rival had ceased. The Phoenix Corp, made of survivors of the Konoha branch of the Enkou and Kaki gangs, had their properties raided, assets seized, and their members arrested by the village shinobi. A few members actually died trying to fight off the shinobi to little effect. At first, there was a sense of relief throughout the village at the prospect of the gang war being finally over. However, it soon turned to fear when some began to wonder how the village shinobi was able to coordinate an attack against all of the Phoenix Corp's hideouts, business ventures, and homes. The initial speculation held that there was a traitor in the Phoenix Corp's ranks, but only someone really high up would know enough about the organization for it to come crashing down in one night.

This led others to wonder if the Kitsune was involved. Had the Kitsune infiltrated the Pheonix Corp and leaked all of its secrets to Konoha. If that was the case, was it possible the Kitsune had also infiltrated Konoha's governing body? Suspicion swept through the village that the new Hokage was under the control of the Kitsune Clan, leading to a lot of grief and headaches for her.

Meanwhile, the Kitsune Clan was celebrating. Shinji was no longer confined to the hospital and was able to resume work for the clan, granted he had to take it slow since his legs had grown weak from disuse. At the weekly clan meeting, Naruto explained the arrangement he had made with Tsunade to the senior clansmen. They had some concerns at first with the nature of the arrangement, until Shinji crunched the numbers and revealed that Tsunade would be in their debt for quite some time. The Kitsune effectively had the Hokage under their thumb. Gan was pleased with the arrangements but warned that no one outside the Kitsune could ever afford to know about this, otherwise Tsunade's leadership would come into question. To that end, it was decided no one outside the senior clansmen was to know this truth.

With no opposition, the Kitsune usurped total control of Konoha's underworld. From there, it took very little for the Kitsune to assert their dominance over the citizens of the village. There was no violence, of course. The Kitsune presence was enough to deter most of the petty criminals from acting on their urges in the village.

News quickly spread through the underworld that the Kitsune, and as a result the Kuroihi Syndicate, were now the sole Ninkyo Dantai operating in Konoha. As a result, the Enkou Syndicate, the Kaki Brotherhood, and the Shirotsuki Clan were now seeking to each solidify a controlling interest in each of the other shinobi villages. Even so, Naruto came to understand that peace talks were now underway between the kumichos to restore peace while maintaining the balance of power between organizations.

Times were good for the members of the Kitsune clan, and business continued as usual. However, Naruto had another matter on his mind: He still had to give Hinata his answer. Despite only being back for a week, Naruto took a day off from work so that he could go see her. Most of that week had been spent carefully considering how to give his answer. The Hyuga Clan was part of Konoha's nobility, so he would have to handle it with tact. He would have to approach it with dignity and respect towards them, especially since Hinata was the clan head's daughter.

He came to the Hyuuga manor to find two of the Hyuuga clansmen standing guard over the gate entrance which had been closed tight. The guards were quick to scowl as Naruto said, "I want to speak with Lord Hyuga and Lady Hinata."

"Lord Hyuga is away on business and Lady Hinata is busy entertaining other guests," the guard replied, "Why don't you come back some other time. Like never?"

Before Naruto could open his mouth to respond, there was a loud shriek from within the manor. The cry of thousands of birds echoed through the air followed by a thunderous crash that shook the ground. The guards threw the doors open instantly and ran in, "What was that?"

Naruto drew Kitsune and followed the guards into the courtyard where they found Hinata, Sasuke, and Sakura. Hinata's byakugan was active and she stood in a defensive stance with her back against a wall. Sasuke was in front of her with left arm stretched out just to the side of Hinata's head, where his hand touched a large hole in the wall. His sharingan eyes were full of bloodlust which only magnified the furious expression on his face. It wasn't that hard to discern that just a moment ago, he had tried to use the chidori on her. Sakura was just a short distance away from the two, her eyes wide with horror. As Sasuke pulled his arm away from Hinata, Naruto saw a victorious smile on his face. Sasuke muttered something incoherent before putting some distance between himself and his teammate.

"Lady Hinata, are you alright?" one of the Hyuuga guards asked as they ran between the two genin, taking up fighting stances against Sasuke. Hinata deactivated her byakugan and sheepishly explained, "It's alright. We were sparring and...got a little carried away."

"Enough to use the chidori?" Naruto asked aloud. Hinata looked at Naruto in surprise, but Naruto's attention was focused on Sasuke. Sasuke showed no remorse for using the chidori against Hinata even though they were sparring. Sasuke glanced at Naruto with a sinister grin, taking Naruto by surprise but only for a moment. With a deceivingly calm tone, Sasuke said to Naruto, "Spar with me."

"I'm not here to spar, Sasuke," Naruto stated and put his katana away, "I'm just here to see Hinata."

"You can see her after you spar with me," Sasuke's smile widened. Naruto felt a cold chill run down his spine and the air around him froze. Sasuke was enveloped in glow of dark colored chakra. Naruto realized Sasuke had no intention of backing down and wrapped his hand around Kitsune. While Sasuke took up a fighting stance, Naruto quickly began to focus chakra into the scabbard. He really wasn't in the mood to fight at the moment and wanted to end it as quickly as possible.

"Sasuke, don't!" Sakura begged. Sasuke ignored her and charged Naruto right away. Naruto hadn't focused enough chakra into his katana yet, so he took the defensive and leapt backwards from Sasuke to put distance between them. To Naruto's surprise, Sasuke closed the gap Naruto made instantly and kicked Naruto towards the wall.

Naruto managed to catch himself before he hit the wall and continued focusing the chakra into his scabbard. Unfortunately, he couldn't unleash the full power of his technique without risking injury to Sakura, Hinata, the Hyuuga guards, or anyone else who might get caught in the blast. He would just have to use it prematurely and in very close proximity to minimize the amount of damage Naruto dealt.

Sasuke, for whatever reason, decided a ranged offensive would be more effective at the same time. Sasuke reached into his back pouch and unleashed a flurry of shuriken and kunai upon Naruto. Naruto kept his hand on Kitsune and drew Kusanagi with his free hand, using it to deflect as many of the projectiles as possible while rushing Sasuke.

Sasuke stopped throwing kunai and took two in hand. He raced to meet Naruto. As Naruto got closer to Sasuke, he saw a fire in the Uchiha's eyes; an intense determination to be the victor. Naruto had no problems throwing the fight, if it meant it would be over sooner. Unfortunately, he couldn't lose because losing would hurt the reputation of the Kitsune Clan.

Once Sasuke was in range, Naruto drew Kitsune and shouted, "Kenton: Rasengan no Ken!"

The chakra tendrils burst forth from his scabbard, arching with Kitsune and flowing to strike their mark. The blast hit Sasuke on the chest, knocking the kunai out of his hands and throwing the boy backwards against the opposite wall. Naruto hadn't pumped too much chakra into the attack, so Sasuke's clothes weren't torn to pieces like Kabuto's. At best, it probably appeared like a blast of wind as opposed to a strike with chakra. Sasuke fell to the ground on his knees and looked up at Naruto with amazement in his eyes. Sakura was quick to run to Sasuke's side, worriedly stating, "That's enough Sasuke! You just got out of the hospital! Please, don't push yourself too much!"

The awe quickly turned to anger, as Sasuke pulled himself up. Sakura tried to help him but he pushed her away and growled, "Stay out of my way!"

Sasuke held out his arm to the side and the sound of crackling electricity filled the air. Naruto realized that Sasuke planned on using the chidori again, this time on him. Naruto resheathed both his katana and tried to reason with him, "Sasuke! Let's stop this! Someone could get hurt!"

"Would someone explained to me what's going onl?" Hyuuga Hiashi appeared at the gate of the compound. His byakugan was active, which Naruto could only guess meant Hiashi's question was rhetorical. Sasuke deactivated his chidori as Hiashi walked up to the genin and looked at Hinata.

"We were sparring," Hinata said again to her father, "And we got a little carried away."

"With him?" Hiashi shot a dirty look over his shoulder that unnerved Naruto. Hiashi quickly returned his glare to Sasuke and stated, "I heard the chidori used. Care to explain that, young Uchiha? It seemed you planned on killing someone in my home. I hope you didn't intend to harm a daughter of the Hyuuga clan."

Naruto noticed Hinata smile faintly at that statement, but the smile vanished as quickly as it appeared. Sasuke pocketed his hands and bowed with a sorrowful look, "Forgive me. I didn't mean to hurt anyone or to destroy your home."

"And how do you plan on repairing that wall?" Hiashi demanded of Sasuke, who promised he would pay for the repairs with his own money. Naruto had to admit, he enjoyed watching Sasuke get yelled at. His smile quickly turned to a frown when Hiashi turned to face Naruto, "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you and Hinata," Naruto answered.

"Well make it quick," Hiashi said. Hiashi, the two Hyuuga guards, Sasuke, Sakura and Hinata looked at Naruto patiently. Unnerved by all the sudden attention and wanting to discuss the matter privately, Naruto added, "With your permission, I'd like to discuss this in private."

"Anything you have to say, can be said in front of everyone" Hiashi said with a scowl. Naruto felt a lump form in his throat and his mind went blank from reservation. Naruto looked from one person to the next, wondering if this was exactly how Hinata felt when she confessed to him. She was clearly the better person for being able to confess her feelings aloud, although she didn't have an audience in her case. Too nervous to say what he wanted to, Naruto reasoned with Hiashi, "It's about a sensitive issue. I think you would agree that it's something best talked about in private."

After a few moments of silence, Hiashi agreed, "Very well. This way."

Hiashi led the way into the manor, with Hinata right behind him and Naruto in tow. Naruto looked over his shoulder to see Sasuke was still seething and Sakura still looking on in awe. Hiashi led them into the common room where Naruto previously had come to visit Hinata. Hiashi took a seat on the far end of the table, with Naruto opposite him and Hinata sitting between them.

"So what is it you wanted to discuss?" Hiashi looked at Naruto with abhorrence. Naruto opened his mouth to talk but found the words wouldn't come out. A lump had formed itself in his throat and was keeping him from talking. For some reason, the glare Hiashi gave Naruto was unsettling. Naruto couldn't afford to back out of this now. With a great deal of effort, Naruto was finally able to swallow the lump in his throat and bowed before the Hyuuga clan head, "Lord Hyuuga, please let me go out with Hinata."

"Naruto..."

Hiashi was silent initially. Folding his arms across his chest and closing his eyes in deep thought. Naruto was certain Hiashi would say no. After all, the Hyuuga Clan's reputation was hurt simply because Hinata was seeing Naruto. There was no way Hiashi would allow that reputation to be destroyed if Hinata were to start seeing Naruto. After a prolonged silence, Hiashi finally stated, "You have some nerve, coming to me with a request like that. Tell me why."

"Because I-" Naruto paused, lifting his head up to look at Hinata. He knew what he was going to say, it was just incredibly difficult to say it all of a sudden. Naruto took a moment to calm himself down before explaining, "Because I really care about her! And I...want to be with her!"

"Well I want you to stop coming over to my house," Hiashi answered, "But we can't all get what we want. Besides, I meant why are you asking me? This seems more like a question to ask Hinata."

Hiashi looked at Hinata, his eyes conveying some message to her that inspired worry. Hinata pushed her forefingers together and cast her gaze downward to hide the fact that her face turned several shades of red. Naruto took notice and realized Hinata was just as nervous about it as he was. The lump came back in his throat but Naruto managed to swallow it again, "Hinata, will you go out with me?"

There was a tense silence that felt like it lasted forever, broken only by the sound of soft sobs. Hinata broke out into a fit of tears that she quickly tried to wipe away with her sleeve. Naruto's heart sank with guilt; had he upset her by asking her out? He thought she would be happy to hear him say this after her rather vocal confession. Apparently he was wrong, or so he thought until he saw Hinata look up at him with a bright smile on his face, "I'm sorry...I'm just...so happy. Yes!"

Hinata embraced Naruto tightly, burying her face into his shoulder. Naruto inadvertently found himself returning the hug. He could feel the warmth of her body pressed against his; a moment of pure bliss. Unfortunately, the mood was ruined by Hinata's father, who cleared his throat to get their attention. Hinata and Naruto immediately released each other and faced Hiashi, his face now adorned with frustration, "Hinata, please leave."

"But-" Naruto began, fearing Hiashi planned on banishing her from the clan again. He was cut off by Hiashi, "I simply want to talk in private for a moment. Please wait outside, Hinata."

"No," Hinata said to her father defiantly. His gaze shifted towards her, a dangerous look in his eye that said not to test him. With a serious voice, Hiashi stated, "You will wait outside Hinata."

"No!" Hinata said again, this time with more force, "Anything you have to say to Naruto, you can say to me."

Hiashi looked between Hinata and Naruto before quietly stating, "Very well. You realize, Naruto, that I only allowed Hinata back into the clan upon your request and, even then, I asked for something in return."

"I remember," Naruto stated plainly, seeing Hinata's eyes on him. Hiashi continued, "If anyone were ever to discover that you and my daughter were seeing each other, it would destroy my clan's influence. In the likely event that such a thing were to happen, I expect some form of compensation this time as well."

"I refuse," Naruto stated seriously to Hiashi, "And let me say why so you don't think I'm giving up on Hinata so easily. Last time, circumstances were different. I was trying to keep a promise to Hinata and was ready to take the steps to do so. This time, I'm not fulfilling a promise. I'm not here on business. I'm here for personal reasons. I like Hinata and I have no intention on bargaining with you to see her. To any Ninkyo Dantai, that would be dishonorable."

His voice betrayed a disgruntled tone. Naruto paused for a moment to calm himself down with a deep breath before continuing, "You told me that you wanted the Hyuuga clan to remain esteemed so that you could take care of those closest to you. If that's the case, why are you so eager to bargain with me for the right to see her? Isn't that more disgraceful than her associating with someone like me?"

"The needs of the Hyuuga Clan as a whole is more important than the needs of one its own," Hiashi stated bluntly, a serious look in his eyes, "Whether or not that is what we want."

For a moment, Hiashi looked genuinely sad to Naruto; his eyes filled with regret and loss. Naruto considered the possibility of exploiting whatever made Hiashi like this. Doing so would certainly provide the Kitsune with all kinds of opportunities for expansion, but it would be a dirty tactic. On the other hand, Naruto never really showed reservations against strong arming the opposition in the past. So why was he hesitant now? Whatever the reason, this wasn't the time to be contemplating such things. With a cool tone, Naruto answered, "I understand your desire to maintain the Hyuuga Clan's prestigious image in the eyes of the village, but like I said: I'm not going to bargain with you just to see her."

"At least you have some sense of propriety," Hiashi mused to himself, "Even so, the Hyuuga Clan has a lot to lose. The heiress to the Hyuuga seeing the head of the Kitsune...some will see it as treason. The Hyuuga Clan will be outcasts!"

"If the village has a problem with me seeing Hinata, then let them come to me about it," Naruto stated plainly, "If the Hyuuga Clan suffers, then I will take responsibility. If anyone hurts Hinata, I will go after them."

Hiashi looked at Naruto intently and asked, "You can guarantee this?"

"I've always kept my promises, haven't I?" Naruto said seriously, "And the Kitsune take care of those important to us."

Hiashi fell silent and appeared contemplative for a moment. Eventually, Hiashi nodded and stated, "Very well, you have my blessing."

"Thank you, Father."

"Thank you," Naruto bowed. Hiashi stood up and made for the door. He stopped at the frame to say, "Take care of my daughter."

Hiashi left, leaving Naruto and Hinata alone in the room. Naruto felt a happiness welling inside of him. He had Hiashi's blessing to see his daughter! He felt lighter than air, brimming with joy. However, he couldn't let his bliss get the better of him. He still had somethings he had to go over with Hinata. Turning to her with a smile, he said, "Let's take a walk."

"Okay," Hinata nodded. The two of them stood up and went outside to find Hinata's teammates had already left. The two Hyuuga guards resumed their stations at the manor gate and opened the door for them, although they gave Naruto icy glares as they did. They walked beside each other silently, each occasionally stealing glances at each other. Once they were a good distance away from the manor, Naruto looked over his shoulder to make sure they weren't being followed and broke the silence, "Hinata, now that we're dating, I think there are some things we need to talk about."

"Like what Naruto?" Hinata asked quietly. Naruto pocketed his hands and said to Hinata, "About the kind of business I'm in and the things I do. It's not the kind of business that makes me a lot of friends, which is why I want to keep you as far away from that as possible. There are going to be a lot of things that I can't tell you, and might not be able to see you sometimes because of it."

"You don't trust me?" Hinata asked. Naruto shook his head, "It's not that I don't trust you. It's that I don't want to give my enemies a reason to go after you."

"We're...dating now, though. Isn't that reason enough for them?" Hinata asked. Naruto had to admit, his heart skipped a beat when Hinata said that. He and Hinata were dating. Just thinking about it made him giddy but he had to focus. Naruto shook his head and explained, "We're called Ninkyo Dantai for a reason, Hinata. Chivalrous Organization. We don't go after anyone not involved in business."

"Even still, Naruto," Hinata's face flushed, "I...can take care of myself. So...please, don't worry about me."

"I'll always worry Hinata," Naruto said to her. He felt the blood rushing to his face and looked away to hide how red his face had become, "I don't want anything to happen to you. Especially if its because of me. Which is why I'll do everything I can to keep you safe."

Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto could see a smile appear on Hinata's face. In turn, this made Naruto happy as well. They were quiet after that and continued their walk around the village. Naruto was sure they traversed the entire village. As they walked, he could hear the voices of the villagers they passed by. It was obvious they were whispering about him and Hinata walking together side by side, but Naruto didn't care. He was just happy with the way things turned out. With any luck, things would go this way forever.

...

In a secret bunker located beneath the Hidden Leaf, Danzou met with one of his more trusted subordinate. There was a significant height difference between the two; made all the more jarring by the fact that Danzou's shorter subordinate dressed as one of Konoha's ANBU Black Ops.

The bunker was built covertly without the knowledge of the Hokage or the village council on Danzou's order. It's primary use? As a base of operations for his own division of ANBU: Root. Officially, Root had been disbanded many years ago but Danzou made sure that Root was always active - whether or not the village knew.

The First Hokage's legacy, the philosophy of the 'Will of Fire', was a mad man's dream in Danzou's mind. The core tenants could be summed up best by saying love and understanding were the keys to peace. Danzou never believed in it for a moment. The world was engulfed by the cycle of hatred - attack and retaliation. In order for true peace to be achieved, sacrifices would have to be made. Absolute power and fear were the only ways to secure the village's peace, and Danzou had already gone to great lengths for that.

While the Hokages preached the 'Will of Fire', it was always Danzou who secretly and his loyal Root who took the measures the protect the village. From undercover infiltration of other villages to the assassination of political threats, Root had done it all at Danzou's behest for the safety of the village. In a way, this was a reflection of Danzou's own philosophy. While the Hokage and the future generations of the village would be the leaves basking the light, he and his loyal organization would be the roots that hid in the darkness to support the tree. Today was no different.

"The village has been infiltrated," Danzou said to his escort, "Though Tsunade won't admit it, she's in the pocket of the Kitsune Clan. Even worse, they know one of the village's darkest secrets and used it to strong arm Homura and Koharu. If news of this spreads to the other villages, Konoha's enemies would see our village as weak and try to attack us. To avoid this political scandal, we must act against the Kuroihi before they act against us."

"How do you want it handled, sir?" the ANBU asked. His voice sounded remarkably young.

"We can't launch an open attack on the Kitsune without endangering the image of the village or inciting a war with the Kuroihi. Admittedly, the Kuroihi are no match for us in combat. It's their political influence that's dangerous; there's no telling how many politicians, religious figures, and corporations are in their pockets. They could cripple the village economically if we act out against them openly. Therefore, we must act in the shadows as we always have. I want you to shake off your identity as a shinobi of Root and join the Kitsune with a new identity: Sai."

"Yes sir," the ANBU nodded, removing his mask to reveal the face of a young teen. His face still had its boyish features but his skin was remarkably pale, a stark contrast from his jet black hair, "For now, I will assume the name: Sai."

"Climb their ranks and learn their secrets, their capabilities," Danzou added, "When the time comes, we will systematically dismantle them from the inside. And Sai, I have one more directive for you."

"Yes?"

"Get close to the head of the Kitsune. When I give the order: capture him. Capture Uzumaki Naruto."

...

**Author's Note:** That's all for now folks! Just so you know, I'm moving to a twelve week update schedule because I've found it to be more flexible than my previous eight week schedule. My next update will be in twelve weeks on Friday, November 4th. If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on the Facebook or the Playstation Network (PSN ID leo112358). Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	45. First Date

**Disclaimer**: Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as an animated series by Viz Media. The Art of War is a widely published text originally written Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicate, the Kaki Alliance, the Shirotsuki Clan, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi Ryouke, Kuroihi Yamato, Kasen Eiji, Yagami Shinji, Utawa Miji, Doragon Gan, and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Note**: Good evening fellow fan fiction connoisseurs. I understand it has been a long time since my last update, for which I apologize. I had several personal reasons for this, but one of the major reasons was I needed time to work on a little surprise I have for you readers of Oyabun which should be ready by Christmas of this year, with any luck. Just so you guys know, this chapter is meant to focus more on Naruto and Hinata's relationship - it is a change of pace from the other chapters, but it mostly sets the stage for the next part of the story. As an added note, I want to thank my editor Kells for proofreading the stories and keeping track of continuity for me. Now, on to review responses:

**jjones987**: Thanks, I'm glad you liked the story so much.

**DarkRavie**: Wait no longer, for here is the next chapter!

**Yikari**: Thank you. Honestly, the last chapter was supposed to be this chapter but that would mean covering too much ground in too little time. So I split the chapter in two. I'm aware that endorsing a pairing is a major burden to authors but I'll try to deliver the best NaruHina I can. However, the focus of the story is on Naruto's leadership of a yakuza gang. Sasuke is a difficult character to write for, mostly because it's impossible to see him as anything but a jackass. However, a lot of the motivations for his actions in this story have changed compared to the canon. Tsunade will be relegated mostly as a background character but she will still interact with Naruto on occasion.

**Shadow-Sensei**: Dear Sensei, thank you for sticking with me for so long. I don't think my stories are a guide to Nirvana since its main focus is to tell a good story and nothing more. You really seem excited for the next chapter so I won't hold you up any longer. Enjoy!

**chrnno**: Granted. The focus isn't on fighting but Naruto out maneuvering his enemies politically. Remember he now has the resources of the Hidden Leaf Village and the Kitsune Syndicate, at his disposal. As a great man once said, 'If anything in this life is certain...if history has taught us anything, it's that you can kill anyone.'

**victor912**: Yes, he is coming. Just not in this chapter.

**Aerialis**: Thank you very much. I'm always happy to see someone who enjoys my stories - whether or nor they make sense.

And now, on to Oyabun:

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 44: First Date**

Naruto leaned back in his chair with his feet propped up on his desk. Everything had gone more or less to plan. The Hokage was in the Kitsune Syndicate's pocket and their sole opposition had been stamped out, giving them control of the village. Naturally debt collectors had come to see Tsunade and she would always send them to the Kitsune offices. The Kitsune reimbursed all of Tsunade's debt in exchange for future favors. To top it all off, he was going out with Hyuuga Hinata. Things were all going his way.

And yet, he couldn't shake a strong feeling of anxiety. It wasn't the anxiety that came with being the leader of the Kitsune Clan—he was accustomed to leadership already. It was the anxiety that came with excitation and anticipation. Today was Hinata's first day off since he asked her out—which also made today Naruto and Hinata's first date. He wanted things to go perfectly—and he feared the possibility that things might just not go the way he intended. He didn't want things to end on a sour note, especially because Hinata and her team would be departing on a long term mission tomorrow to protect a production company while they filmed the latest installment in "The Unlucky Princess" franchise. The production company wanted all their bases covered, so they quietly contracted the Kitsune to arrange for their safety during production. Naruto received a down payment of a personalized autograph from lead actress Fujikaze Yukie, and one million ryou with an extra forty-nine million ryou promised once production was complete. Naruto gave the job to Gan who was currently assigning a squad of men to go. For the price they paid, Gan promised only the best would go. On top of them, Naruto asked Haku and two of his guards to go so they could keep an eye on Hinata and her team.

Naruto tried to distract himself from these thoughts by thinking about ramen and busying himself with paperwork. It did little to divert his attention. He already knew where he was taking her and considered carefully what they would be doing. Of course, it didn't take long for rumors to get around that the boss of the Kitsune was planning on taking a special someone somewhere that night—several clansmen came to him with advice about where to go, what to do, how to treat her and win her heart, among many other things. Naruto took all of their advice into consideration—at least the reasonable advice, since several of the clansmen brought up the topic of the 'love hotel'. Naruto wasn't sure what went on at 'love hotels'—something about couples just paying to spend the night—but knew they had an ill reputation in the village. Naruto had no plans of giving Hinata a bad reputation or harming the Hyuuga Clan's image.

No.

What Naruto planned was simple; something he was told was the classic first date: dinner and a movie. He was going to take her to the best restaurant in the village and follow it up with a movie that was supposed to be premiering tonight. It took several arrangements, but Naruto was able to secure a reservation at both the restaurant and get tickets to the movie. He just wanted things to go smoothly.

He was concerned about how people would react to seeing the two of them together. Only Hinata's father and sister were aware that the two of them were dating. Otherwise, both Naruto's clan and Hinata's team didn't know about it. Naruto didn't have any problems letting people know they were dating, he was simply concerned with how this would affect the image of the Hyuuga. Naruto swore he would take care of any problems the Hyuuga encountered because of their relationship, but he had no clue how he was going to keep that promise.

The clock chimed to signal the time: Four O'Clock. Naruto had three more hours of anxiety ridden waiting ahead of him. He decided to distract himself as best he could by returning to the never ending mounds of paper work that piled themselves on his desk.

...

"Does this look... good?" Hinata asked sheepishly, stepping out from behind the folding screen for Sakura and Ino to see. She asked them for their input on what she should wear for her upcoming date but hadn't told them whom it was with. They were more than happy to help, but Hinata found their clothing choices to be a little too bold. She wanted to look like nice for Naruto but she still had her clan's image to worry about: she was a future clan head and was expected to act like one. This outfit she was wearing wasn't anything too special but it was certainly different from what she normally wore.

"Hinata! You look so cute!" Sakura squealed happily.

"Yeah! You need to dress like this more often!" Ino added, clapping her hands together happily. Hinata took this chance to look at her reflection in the mirror and barely recognized herself. The clothes Ino and Sakura picked out were cute, she just wasn't sure if it was something a clan head should wear. The style was just a little bold compared to what Hinata was used to wearing; however, they said her date would like it. Taking another look at herself in the mirror, Hinata could tell just how nervous she was. She tried to smile at herself but was too taken aback by how different she looked - something that made her nervous but it would be worth it if Naruto liked it.

"So are you going to tell us who your date's with?" Sakura asked ecstatically; she leaned in close on Hinata with Ino right on her heels, "Is it someone we know?"

"Um, yeah... kind of," Hinata answered quietly, pushing her fingers together and staring down at the ground to hide her embarrassment. She didn't like being bombarded with questions like this, especially from Sakura and Ino—neither liked Naruto so how was she supposed to say she was dating him. She wasn't particularly ashamed of dating Naruto, but how was she supposed to admit to two people who weren't particularly fond of him?

"I bet he was in our class back in the academy!" Sakura thought excitedly, "From one of the other clans, right? Like Kiba or Shino!"

"Um... he was in our academy class... and he is in one of the clans...," Hinata said quietly, all technically true but she was certain they would assume she was referring to someone else. Ino and Sakura eyed Hinata enviously, unnerving the heiress even more than their barrage of questions.

"I bet it's Kiba," Ino said aloud to Kiba, "He's always liked you."

Hinata was taken aback. She Liked Kiba, but not in the same way she liked Naruto. Hints weren't going to answer Ino's speculation. She checked the clock to see just how much time she had left and realized it was already six thirty. Naruto would be here in half an hour to pick her up. She looked in the mirror and said to herself, "I hope he likes this."

"He will!" Sakura said confidently. She pulled a chair behind Hinata and sat the heiress down, "Now, let's get started on your make up."

"Huh? Make up?" Hinata asked just in time to see Ino appear with lipstick in one hand and a brush in the other hand. Before Hinata could protest, Ino was already at work, "Sakura and I talked it over for a long time. These colors should look more natural on you."

"Um... I really don't wear—,"

"You'll look great! Trust us on this!" Sakura assured her, while Ino gently moved the brush against her face, "This is looking really good, right Sakura?"

By this point, Hinata closed her eyes and decided it would be best to let Ino and Sakura work. It was entirely possible that the end result would be amazing and she could always wash it off quietly if she didn't like it.

"Alright, we're done!" Ino announced happily. Sakura released Hinata and she opened her eyes to see a dazzling face she was certain wasn't her looking back. Sakura turned Hinata to face her and commented, "You look beautiful, Hinata."

"Oh... um, thank you," Hinata answered bashfully. Before Hinata could admire Sakura and Ino's work any further, there was a knock on her bedroom door before it slid open to reveal her younger sister, "I'm sorry to intrude. He's here to see you Hinata."

"That's your cue. Good luck, Hinata," Sakura said happily.

"Yeah, have fun," Ino added.

"Thanks for everything," Hinata said to them with a bow as she went out to meet Naruto. Hinata quickly and happily ran to meet Naruto at the entrance to the manor. Had she left a little more slowly, she would have overheard Sakura say, "Oh man! I'm so jealous. Hinata has a date tonight!"

"She never told us who it was with," Ino lamented, "Let's see; someone from our academy class and he's in one of the clans. That could be Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, Chouji, or Sasuke."

"I hope it's not Sasuke," Sakura sighed, "But they've been spending a lot of time together."

"Well, there is one way we can find out," Ino suggested with a wide smile, "We can follow them."

"No way," Sakura refused instantly, "I'm sure Hinata and her date want to be alone. Besides, that'd be creepy."

"You can't tell me you're not just a little bit curious," Ino reasoned, "Tell you what: we take a quick peek to see who she's with and then we go. Does that sound good?"

"It's still wrong," Sakura said quietly, to which Ino said, "You're not worried that she's seeing Sasuke?"

Those words struck a cord in Sakura. Hinata and Sasuke were getting along alot recently, and spending a lot of time together. Granted they seemed to be avoiding each other ever since that event at the Hyuuga Manor where Sasuke used the chidori on her. She wasn't going to stop Sasuke or Hinata if they really liked each other, but she really hoped this date tonight wasn't Sasuke trying to apologize to Hinata properly. This worry was enough for Sakura and she quietly muttered, "Maybe just a small peak."

"Alright!" Ino cheered in a hushed voice.

...

"Hinata?" Naruto stammered, unable to believe what he was looking at. Hinata was wearing a zippered version of her hoodie with the coat open, revealing a black tank top underneath. Around her waist was a dark blue belt that held up a frilled black miniskirt. Her hair glistened in the light of the setting sun, which did little to distract from how bright her face was. Naruto had never seen Hinata dressed like this; to say she was breath-taking would be an understatement. He staggered for a moment as he took in her beauty at that moment.

"Hi, Naruto," Hinata greeted him cheerfully, wearing a smile that only further served to render him stupid. Seeing her like this made a lump in his throat, which he forced himself to swallow. The most beautiful girl he knee was suddenly more beautiful and he was going to be spending the next few hours alone with her. He counted himself lucky to have that fortune but was unnerved by what to say. The leader of the most powerful Ninkyo Dantai in the village, who out maneuvering rival organizations and had the village's leadership under his belt, was rendered stupid by the girl he liked.

Hinata must have picked up on his unease because she was suddenly apologizing, "Is there something wrong with the way I'm dressed? I'm sorry. I'll go back in and change right away!"

"No, don't! It's nothing like that," Naruto explained to her, "It's just... well, you're so pretty Hinata."

"Oh," Naruto saw her face go bright red, "Tha-thank you."

"You look great," Naruto said to her, "Come on, let's go."

Naruto took Hinata by the hand and led her down the street, certain that he had alleviated whatever worries she had, but also trying to mask his own unease. She was dressed so beautifully; it put Naruto to shame when realized all he did was tuck in his shirt, straighten his collar and put on a tie. Secretly, he also had a wakizashi concealed inside his blazer but he wasn't going to admit to that. It was more for Hinata's and his protection, although he was certain she could hold her own should the need arise. However, he knew this was not the time to lose his nerve over appearances. He hid these concerns behind a bright smile and led the way down the street, slowing his pace so that he could walk along side Hinata.

Then it occurred to him that he absentmindedly took Hinata's hand in his own. He was holding Hinata's hand! This was perhaps the greatest moment in his life filled with only the greatest feeling in the world! Naruto wanted to jump for joy because he was so excited. However, he chose to smile instead since he would be making a fool of himself in front of Hinata if he did.

"So... where, um... are we going?" Hinata said.

"I was thinking we'd eat at the best restaurant in the village," Naruto explained, "And follow it up with tonight's premiere of the new 'Unlucky Princess'."

"The Unlucky Princess!" Hinata looked up in surprise, "But... tickets to that have been sold out for weeks! How did you get them?"

"The head of the production company asked us to provide security for production of the next movie," Naruto said nonchalantly, "In exchange, I asked for two tickets to the movie premiere tonight."

"You didn't... hurt anyone, did you? To get those tickets, I mean," Hinata asked. Naruto shook his head, "It's not like that. It never was. It was just business, Hinata. It's no different than the missions you take in the village."

"I know," Hinata said, "I just..."

"Let's not talk about business," Naruto said to change the subject, "Tonight is about you and me."

"Okay," Hinata smiled warmly with a face that made Naruto's heart melt. How could he never have noticed just how cute Hinata really was? As they went hand in hand down the street, Naruto could feel the eyes of the surrounding villagers on them. He could hear the villagers talking already, much to his annoyance. He tried his best to ignore them and focus on Hinata but it was kind of hard to do with everyone around them stopping to gawk.

"Isn't that Lady Hinata?"

"What's she doing with the dropout?"

"Show some respect! That's Boss Kitsune!"

"No way! Are those two dating?"

Naruto tried to take his mind off things by talking to Hinata, "Your mission tomorrow, I heard that your team will be going to the Land of Waves."

"Yes," Hinata said excitedly, "We'll be protecting the movie crew while they film."

"I'm jealous," Naruto smiled, "You get to meet the real Fujikaze Yukie."

"Meet... the real... Fujikaze Yukie?" Hinata repeated to herself excitedly, "That's... what will I say?"

"Say hi, ask her how her day is, and ask if you can get an autograph for your boyfriend," Naruto said light heartedly. He already had an autograph, but he wasn't going to tell Hinata that. That was the business side of things and she didn't need to know what was going on there. Naruto then realized Hinata's face had flushed a bright red. Fearful he had said something wrong, Naruto asked, "Is it something I said?"

"No... I mean, yes, but..." Hinata stumbled over her words, "It's just that... well, could you maybe...say that last part again?"

"Hm? Get an autograph for your boyfriend?" Naruto half said, half asked. Naruto didn't think it possible, but Hinata's face turned an even brighter red. Naruto instantly recognized what was going on and smiled, "It makes you happy to hear me say that?"

"A little bit," Hinata smiled shyly, much to Naruto's delight. With a wide grin, he matter-of-factly stated, "That's right. I'm your boyfriend and you're my girlfriend."

Hinata delightfully squeaked something that only made Naruto happier. He was surprised that he had the tenacity to say those words out loud, especially when the whole village was watching them. However, he wasn't ashamed of that fact so there was no reason to hide it. All the same, it was hard to enjoy Hinata's company when the whole village was watching them. They awkwardly continued their walk to the restaurant in silence, trying to ignore the continued whispers and stairs they were getting.

They came to the restaurant which sat in the heart of Konoha's commercial district. It was foreign restaurant known for serving extravagant delicacies from far-away lands with a decadent flavor only their skilled chefs could provide. It was also damn expensive and reservations had to be made weeks in advance in order to get a table. Something Naruto was only able to finagle because he made a deal with the owner to provide him with high quality beef in exchange for a reservation.

"Welcome to our fine establishment," a host dressed in a fine formal suit said as they walked in, "Did you have a reservation?"

"Yes," Naruto nodded, "It should be under Uzumaki, two seats."

"Just a moment," the host said, looking through a log book before nodded, "Ah yes, Uzumaki: table for two. Please come right this way."

The host led them to a table in the heart of the restaurant, underneath a candlelit chandelier where the entire restaurant could look at them. Naruto wasn't excited about the arrangement, since the last thing he wanted was the entire restaurant staring at him and Hinata. He could already hear the people here start to whisper as well, although they were just a little bit more discrete about it. At their table, Naruto pulled out Hinata's seat for her and sat her down before taking his own seat opposite her. The host provided them with menus and introduced a young woman who appeared beside him, "This is Yui. She will be serving you this evening. Please enjoy yourselves."

"Good evening," the waitress cheerfully bowed, "Tonight we have a special on lobster imported from the Land of the Water, boiled in a brew of our finest herbs and spices grown by village's master farmers served with freshly baked butter biscuits using our own secret recipe and a generous portion of vegetables that we grow ourselves. Are there any drinks or appetizers I can provide for you?"

"I'll have an orange soda," Naruto said, "What about you Hinata?"

"Just a water... will be fine," she said nervously, "This place looks so expensive."

"Don't worry about that, Hinata. Tonight is my treat," Naruto said, "So order whatever you want."

"Then... can I have lemon juice?"

"Excellent choices! Lemon and orange juice!" the waitress bowed, "And any hors d'oeuvre?"

Naruto had no idea what that word meant and looked to Hinata for some kind of explanation. However, Hinata was already making an order with the waitress, "Could we have the pan-fried gyoza?"

"Of course," the waitress bowed, "I'll place your order and get your drinks."

"Thank you," Hinata said meekly. Once the waitress was out of earshot, Naruto whispered to Hinata, "Hey, Hinata. What's an hors d'oeuvre?"

"Oh... it's a foreign word for appetizer," Hinata answered, "It usually means snacks that you can eat in one bite, like caviar or deviled eggs."

"Wow, you're really smart Hinata," Naruto complimented, seeing Hinata smile and cast her gaze downward, "Thank you."

...

In an alley next to the restaurant, Sakura and Ino peered through the windows to get a glimpse of Hinata's date but they couldn't see through the crowd of people. All they could make out were his hands, which were busy slicing into a large slice of steak. However, the rest of him was hidden behind a large woman who dined with an elderly man. Sakura and Ino tried to get a better look at him earlier but were unable to make him out entirely through the crowds busy making their way to the movie premiere that night.

"Aw... I wish that woman would move so we could see Hinata's date," Sakura whined.

"He must be rich, to be able to afford this place," Ino sighed enviously, "I wish a guy like that would ask me on a date."

"If he is that kind of guy. He might have Hinata paying the bill so he can get a free meal."

"Hey, what do you two think you're doing?" a voice said, marching his way up to the two girls. Sakura and Ino jumped in surprise, turning to see two members of the Kitsune clan marching up to them with their hands on their katana. The lead Kitsune stepped closer and said, "We got complaints from a client that two girls were sneaking around their business. Didn't think it was true, though."

The other Kitsune drew his katana and said, "We normally handle these things discreetly. Tell the trespasser to leave, and rough them up a little if they come back."

Sakura and Ino prepared themselves in case a fight broke out. They could both easily take the yakuza goons if it got to that point. However, they weren't prepared for what the two did next. The Kitsune who drew his katana stuck it into the ground and lit a cigarette, "Tonight, we're going to make an exception because we're all dying to know who Oyabun is taking around town tonight."

"The clan has this betting pool going around on who the girl is," the first Kitsune said, "But most of us are sure who it is. Makes it kind of dull."

"Oyabun? You mean," Sakura started, giving herself a moment to let the gears in her head turn, "Naruto?"

"Show some respect," the Kitsune snapped, "To you, he's either Boss Kitsune or the Chairman."

"Naruto is taking a mystery girl on a date, and Hinata is taking a mystery guy on a date," Ino stated, "Sakura, you don't think Hinata's date is..."

"Hey, Miji, you were right," the first Kitsune said, "It's that Hyuuga girl."

"Of course I'm right," Miji answered, taking a long drag on his cigarette, "Let's stick around for a while. I want to see where this date goes."

"What about those two?" the other Kitsune said, pointing his thumb at Sakura and Ino. The Kitsune called Miji shrugged, "Leave them be. Let me guess, you two are friends of the Hyuuga girl."

"Uh, yeah," Sakura said, unnerved by how relaxed the thugs were being. Were thugs like this always so nice? She didn't dismiss the idea that it was all an elaborate trick meant to lower their guards. She kept one hand ready around a kunai in case things went south. Miji blew out a puff of smoke and said, "You can take your hand off the kunai. If we wanted to fight, we'd have done it by now. So what are your names?"

"Sakura, what do you think?" Ino leaned in on her friend, speaking at just above a whisper, "Should we tell them?"

"Why are you asking me? How would I know?" Sakura said between her teeth.

"Well, they're Naruto's goons, right?" Ino stated, "Can you imagine what Naruto will do if he finds out? And don't even get me started if Naruto tells Hinata."

Sakura felt all the blood rush out of her face. Hinata and, more importantly, Naruto could not find out about this. They would never see the end of it if either of the two did. Sakura's mind raced, trying to think of a way out of her predicament until Miji threw his cigarette aside, "Never mind. I don't really care who you are. Hey, Ichiro! What's going on, what're those two doing?"

"They're just talking and eating," the Kitsune called Ichiro answered, "Nothing too interesting. You know that Hyuuga girl is kind of cute when you actually look at her. No wonder Oyabun asked her on a date."

"He's probably just playing her," Miji stated angrily, "That kid, he acts all innocent and stupid, but he's always got some plan cooking up in that head of his."

"Watch your mouth, Miji," Ichiro warned, "Or you'll lose more fingers."

"What do you mean he always has a plan?" Sakura asked. Miji lit another cigarette and said, "He acted all cute and innocent when he first came to the clan, back when Yahiko was still in charge. A couple of weeks later, Yahiko ends up dead and the brat is in charge of the entire clan."

"Geez, Miji! You act like there's some kind of master conspiracy going on," Ichiro stated with an annoyed voice, "Yahiko was assassinated by one of the other clans, that's why things got heated during the Chuunin Exam. Everyone knows that! The clan needed a leader and Chairman Sakurazaki gave his blessing to Oyabun. Besides, everyone knows you've had it out for Oyabun since he was ordered to kill your uncle. It's not like he wanted to; he was following orders."

"What about my nephew!" Miji barked pointing through the window at Naruto, "That brat killed my uncle right in front of my nephew!"

"He what?" Sakura and Ino said in unison. Miji started cackling madly, "Yeah! You heard me! People die everywhere this kid goes and he always ends up on top when the fighting stops. It's what happened in the Land of Waves and it's happened here too!"

"Okay, Miji. I think you've said enough," Ichiro patted Miji on the back. He thumbed the exit of the alleyway and said, "You two, beat it for tonight and forget everything that happened here. If you do, we'll say you two were gone by the time we showed up. Come on, beat it!"

"Right, sorry," Sakura said, hurrying past the Kitsune with Ino right behind her. They left the alley and ran inside a tea shop across the street. They were quickly seated and Sakura breathed a sigh of relief once they were out of sight, "I can't believe we got out of that alive."

"Sakura, weren't you listening?" Ino said, "That guy said Naruto is playing Hinata."

"He said he's probably playing Hinata," Sakura corrected, "But you're right, Naruto is probably just using Hinata. I'm not going to let him toy with her!"

"Exactly," Ino pointed out, "So here's what I was thinking: we sabotage their date so Hinata would never want to go on another date with Naruto again!"

"It's mean," Sakura considered quietly, "But we'll have to hurt Hinata a little bit to save her from being hurt a lot more later. I'm in; what's the plan?"

"Here's what we'll do—"

...

"We better get going if we're going to make the premiere," Naruto said, looking at the clock on the far side of the restaurant. He flagged down a waiter and asked for the check. Once everything was paid, with a generous tip for the service, Naruto took Hinata by the hand and escorted her out of the restaurant. Hinata offered Naruto a genuine smile, "Thank you for the wonderful meal, Naruto."

"Anything for you, Hinata," Naruto answered. He had to admit, that line was incredibly cheesy but he came to understand from the clan members that it was a line that no woman could resist. And it seemed to work as Hinata's face lit up instantly when Naruto said those words. His confidence built up a little from that and he was able to relax a little more. They arrived at the theater to find a long line outside waiting for the premiere.

"Naruto... will we really be able to see the movie with all these people in front of us?" Hinata asked. Naruto calmly reassured her, "Don't worry about it. The line's moving, so we'll be inside eating popcorn and watching 'The Unlucky Princess' in a little bit."

It only took them a minute to get up to the ticket booth, where the sales rep greeted with a kind but regretful sorrow, "Hello! I'm sorry but we're all out of tickets for tonight's premiere of 'The Unlucky Princess'."

"That's okay, I have two tickets right here," Naruto showed her the tickets. The sales woman frowned and said, "I'm sorry, but all our seats were reserved."

"That is a problem," Naruto commented, "Would it be alright if I spoke with your manager?"

"No, you can't! The theater's being... um," the sales woman said, her eyes jumping off to the side, "Renovated! Yeah, that's it! We're fixing up the lobby right now! So, sorry, we're closed!"

"That's funny," Naruto tried to stifle a laugh, "You should go in to comedy. Come on Hinata."

"Wait!" the sales woman called out. Naruto stopped to look back, "Yeah?"

"Um... enjoy your movie," the woman said weakly. The woman was acting strangely and was too adamant about keeping them from entering the theater, much to Naruto's annoyance. He really was not in the mood for anything to interrupt his date with Hinata, so he decided to keep his guard up. Things were not going to go downhill tonight if he had anything to say for it. Naruto patted his coat to make sure his wakizashi was still on him as he led the way to the concessions stand. There, they were greeted by a young man with a wide smile, "Hi Hinata! Nar-Naruto! What can I get for you?"

"Um... have... we met?" Hinata asked the man.

"How do you our names and what makes you think you can greet us familiarly?" Naruto asked the man. Something was definitely wrong. First the ticket lady didn't want them to go in, and now the concession guy talks with them so familiarly. Naruto kept his hand on Hinata but had the other hand free in case he needed to get out his wakizashi. The man threw up his hands apprehensively, "It's nothing like that! Who doesn't know Lady Hyuuga and Chairman Kitsune?"

"Okay, and the reason you spoke so familiarly?" Naruto demanded, his hand drawing closer to his wakizashi. The man smiled nervously and said, "I was trying to be polite? Anyway, would you like some popcorn?"

"Oh...yes, please," Hinata answered. The man nodded and quickly disappeared into a door behind the counter. They heard a large thud followed by a bang before the man reemerged from the door cradling his head with both his hands, "Oh...what happened?"

"Hey, are you alright? What happened?" Naruto asked the man, who groaned again, "Yeah, I think. Did I imagine it?"

"Imagine what?"

"Nothing, so what can I get for you?"

"We already had this conversation: popcorn and a drink," Naruto said. The man nodded, "I'll get it right away."

The man got their concessions and brought them to the counter. Just before he could set them down, the man managed to trip on some unseen object and toss the soda into the air. The lid came off the cup and its contents flew out in Hinata's direction. In a jerk reaction, Naruto pulled on Hinata's hand to get her out of the way of the soda which landed on the person behind them in line.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" the person behind them yelled at the concessions clerk, "What do you think you're doing, spilling drinks on customers?"

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I don't know what happened! I just tripped!" the man apologized over and over again. Naruto's attention was on Hinata, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm... fine," she smiled sheepishly, "That was... so fast..."

"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry! Please forgive me! I really don't know what happened!" Naruto heard the concessions clerk say. He looked at the clerk who seemed genuinely confused about what was happening. It was entirely possible that he was intentionally tripped, although Naruto wasn't sure to what for. His best guess was someone really wanted his date with Hinata ruined, but that was too stupid to be true. He could think of dozens of reasons people wouldn't want them to date, but was sure there were better ways to do it. The list of people who wouldn't want them to date was even longer. However, no one in their right might would openly act out against the Hyuuga heiress or the Kitsune head. Maybe the guy really just tripped.

"I'll make it up to both of you! Free concessions! On the house!" the concessions man offered, a deal the other patron accepted bitterly. Once they had their concessions, Naruto and Hinata went into the theatre to see their movie. Naruto allowed Hinata to sit first before taking his seat beside her. He scanned the audience around them for threats and decided to relax; he saw no one who posed a viable threat to either of their lives, nor anyone who looked ready to ruin a date. The film started to play and Naruto allowed himself a moment to enjoy Hinata's company.

...

"But m'lady! We don't stand a chance against such numbers! They'll kill us all!"

"This is as far as we go. We're at our limits!"

"As long as hope remains, we can defeat the evildoers! Stand with me!"

Naruto was hopelessly lost in the movie from the sheer grandeur. Heroes standing against evil villains, explosion after explosion, well choreographed fight scenes, and epic speeches about how good would always conquer evil. Naruto's experiences in life taught him the movie was unrealistic—there were no heroes or villains in life, no masterful fights, or zippy one liners. Even so, he couldn't help but get lost in the moment of it and this was just the middle. They were still forty five minutes from the climax. Naruto looked to his side and saw Hinata just as engrossed in the movie as he was.

One of the clansmen told him that at a movie, one move a guy could pull was to fake a stretch and put his arm around the girl. It just had to be done before the girl noticed. Naruto figured this was as good a time as any. He raised his arms up and stretched for a few seconds before lowering his arms. He felt a sharp pain hit his hand and he quickly retracted it before Hinata noticed. He looked around him to see what was going on but let it go when he saw everyone was engrossed in the movie. He allowed a few more minutes to pass before trying it again, stretching his arms just as a popcorn kernel flew past him from behind. He looked over his shoulder again and saw just a crowd of people engrossed in the movie. Naruto tried it one more time and felt another popcorn kernel hit his hand. He cringed his hand in pain and scowled.

"Is something wrong, Naruto?" Hinata questioned at just above a whisper.

"Nothing," Naruto replied, clicking his tongue in frustration. He missed his chance. He frowned and went to take a sip from the drink which was seated between himself and Hinata. He leaned in to take a drink and ended up bumping heads with Hinata.

"Sorry."

"Sorry."

They apologized in unison. Naruto looked up and realized just how close his face was to Hinata. He felt his heart pounding against his chest - they were so close, if they were to move just a few inches closer they would be kissing. Naruto felt another sharp pain hit him in the head, much worse than the popcorn kernels that hit him in the head. He pulled his head away from Hinata's face and looked down to see a shoe. Someone threw a shoe at him. This was the line. Someone was definitely messing with him, the question remained; who? Naruto had every intention of finding out who.

"I'll be right back," Naruto whispered into her ear.

"Okay."

He returned to the lobby, rubbing the back of his head. He needed a quiet place to calm down and think out how he would salvage things. The date was going well so far but this constant harassment on him was growing annoying. He couldn't figure out who would be trying so hard to ruin this date, mostly because the list was so damn long. However, he could limit the list to people in the theatre but that didn't mean much in a village where people could disguise themselves with an easy jutsu. If Naruto were more competent in shinobi skills, he might have been able to piece together by sensing who was using chakra. However, Hinata's byakugan should have had that ability. He really didn't want to ruin the date but the date would be ruined anyway if things kept up like this.

The odds were against him. Running his hand through his hair and taking another deep breath, Naruto went back inside and took his seat beside Hinata, "Hey, sorry about that."

"It's okay," Hinata whispered back, her eyes cast downward. Naruto took a quick glance around and quietly whispered, "Hey, Hinata."

"Yeah?"

"I hate to ruin the mood and say this. I think we're being followed. Someone's been pelting me with popcorn, and I think it's the same person who tried to spill soda on you and stop us at the ticket booth," Naruto explained, "I'm really sorry. This isn't how I hoped tonight would go; I really wanted it to be special. Could you use your byakugan to find out who it is?"

"Of... of course. Byakugan," Hinata made a few handsigns. The blood vessels around her eyes popped and her gaze became more intense. After a few seconds, Hinata released the byakugan and whispered, "There are two people three rows behind us using henge. I can't tell who."

"Great," Naruto sighed to himself. He really hated being right, "I really hoped it would just be us tonight. I'm sorry about this Hinata."

"Don't—," Hinata started, earning her a shush from the people around them. Hinata lowered her volume and continued, "Don't say that. It... may not be going the way you planned but it's alright if it's with you."

Naruto felt Hinata's eyes on him, and he saw nothing but sincerity in them. To think that a few months ago, Hinata gave him such cold, sad stares in the Land of Waves. Now, her eyes were so bright, pretty, and kind. Knowing Hinata meant her words lightened his heart a little bit, "Thanks Hinata. But we still have to deal with those two. Let's finish the movie and talk with them afterwards."

...

Sakura and Ino emerged from within the darkened theatre, using their henge to disguise themselves as a young couple enjoying a night on the town. Their efforts had largely been effective - there were a few close calls at the beginning but they were able to keep Naruto and Hinata from getting too close during the movie. It was mostly at Naruto's expense, though. They could see Naruto and Hinata further ahead, holding hands and talking quietly. From what Sakura could see, Hinata was having a genuine good time with Naruto. Naruto did nothing to make Sakura believe he was playing with Hinata's emotions. However, the Kitsune from the alley said Naruto was always playing some angle. She didn't want Hinata to get hurt, especially not at Naruto's hand.

They followed Hinata and Naruto as they turned a corner and disappeared towards the village training grounds. Sakura immediately feared the worst. With a mind like Naruto's, there was no telling what would happen to her in a dark and secluded area like that. Sakura and Ino used their kunoichi skills to move quickly and silently, until they caught sight of Naruto leaning against a tree on the edge of a clearing gazing around her. Hinata was no where in sight. Fearing he may have done something to her, they rushed in intending to save her until a sharp force hit them both in the stomach, "Jyuken!"

Sakura and Ino fell backwards. In that moment of surprise, they lost focus on their jutsu and transformed back into their normal appearances. Sakura was dazed for a moment, but it didn't stop her from getting back on her feet in time to see Naruto and Hinata standing in front of them.

"Sakura? Ino?" Hinata murmured in surprise.

"Why are you two following us?" Naruto asked.

"How did you know we were following you?" Sakura asked, rubbing the area where Hinata hit her. Naruto shrugged and laughed, "I didn't know you specifically were following us until you confirmed it. So why were you throwing popcorn at me back in the theatre?"

"You threw popcorn at him?" Hinata said in surprise. Sakura's heart sank; they were caught and Hinata didn't seem too pleased about it. Things definitely did not go the way she had hoped. Ino was ready to defend their actions on the other hand, "We were just looking out for Hinata!"

"Looking out for her?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Ino nodded, "Yeah! We heard what your clansmen said! You were playing her! Toying with her feelings."

"Naruto... what does she mean by that?" Hinata asked Naruto, who had an annoyed expression on his face. He turned to Hinata and said, "I don't know what they're talking about, Hinata. This really is not turning out the way I hoped it would."

"Naruto... was this whole thing... just a game?"

"No, of course not!" Naruto answered seriously, "I like you, Hinata. I really do. I would never do anything to hurt you, ever. You believe me, right?"

Hinata and Naruto looked into each other's eyes for the longest time, before Hinata answered, "I trust you, Naruto."

Naruto pulled her close and hugged her. Sakura could not believe the intimate moment she bore witness too. Hinata and Naruto genuinely cared for each other; at least, Hinata genuinely cared for Naruto. Knowing this only annoyed Sakura more. If Naruto didn't care for Hinata, she would really be hurt. But for the moment, Hinata was happy and Sakura didn't dare be the one to take that away from. Sakura came to a conclusion in her mind. She needed to know beyond a doubt that Naruto felt the same way about Hinata. She wanted Hinata to be happy.

She waited until Hinata and Naruto pulled away from each other to ask, "Hinata, you really like Naruto. Don't you?"

"Ye... yes," Hinata answered with a smile on his face. Sakura looked at Naruto and saw his face was just as bright red as Hinata's. However, this wasn't enough to satisfy Sakura. She wanted to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he felt the same way about Hinata. She looked at Ino, who appeared to catch on to what she was doing and asked her own question, "So Naruto. How much do you like Hinata?"

This time, even Hinata had her eyes on Naruto. With a confident and warm yet serious smile, Naruto answered, "I don't like her."

Hinata's face sunk right away, and Sakura prepared to snap at him until she heard the next words out of Naruto's mouth, "I love her. I care about her and I would do anything for her. That's... how much I feel about her. Does that... answer your question?"

Sakura noted that Naruto's face became as red as a tomato when he said those words. He even stumbled over the last part. Naruto's feelings were sincere, although it looked like he still had difficulty putting it into words. Sakura really wanted to believe what Naruto said she couldn't deny a lingering worry that the sincerity was faked. She decided to put her faith in Naruto for now, and leave him with a warning, "I see. I'm warning you, Naruto, that if you do anything to make Hinata cry, I won't forgive you! As her teammate and friend, I will make your life miserable if you do anything to hurt her. Do you understand?"

"I would never do anything to hurt her," Naruto said honestly. This was enough for Sakura and she nodded. Ino patted her on the shoulder and they took their leave, "Sorry we interrupted. Enjoy the rest of your date."

...

Naruto and Hinata were just outside the Hyuuga manor. Naruto really wished things turned out differently. It might have, if Sakura and Ino hadn't interfered. Their apology was exceptionally half-assed too. Things between Naruto and Hinata were exceptionally quiet after that. As they came to the gate that lead into the manor, Naruto turned to Hinata and apologized, "I'm really sorry about how tonight went."

"Don't be... I had fun... just being with you," Hinata replied with a shy, innocent smile that made him giddy, "And even if Ino and Sakura interrupted us, I'm happy because I could hear your...feelings for me. Thank you... for tonight."

"Oh... in that case... you're welcome," Naruto said to her nervously.

"Naruto, we... um, leave tomorrow for the our mission," Hinata said, "Will you see me off?"

"Of course," Naruto said, "It's a promise."

...

At around eight the following morning, Naruto joined Haku, his two subordinates, and three of the employees from Gan's private security firm just outside the Kitsune office. Naruto's training partner, Scorpio, was there and he happily greeted Naruto with a respectful bow, "Good morning, Boss Kitsune."

"G'morning, Scorpio. Are you all ready to head out?" Naruto asked them. They all nodded, and Haku led the way to the production company's meeting point, a movie studio where the film crew could be seen standing around talking. Several horse-drawn carts loaded with crates labeled fragile could be seen off to the side with behind a bunch of carts that were empty. With the crew was Konoha's genin team 7: Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura and Hinata. Naruto wasted no time greeting with Hinata, "Good morning, Hinata, Sakura."

"Hey," Sakura said indifferently.

"Good morning... Naruto," Hinata greeted timidly, "You came."

"I promised, didn't I?" Naruto smiled at her, "How long until you leave?"

"They said they were waiting for their extra security to arrive," Hinata explained, "Did... he mean you?"

"Yeah, the producer said wanted all of his bases covered," Naruto explained, looking over his shoulder to see Haku and Scorpio talking with what he assumed to be the producer, who pulled out a megaphone and shouted, "Okay! Our extra security is here! Let's get going! I wanted to be out of here an hour ago!"

"It looks like we're going now," Hinata said, as everyone began piling in to the empty carts. Naruto nodded, "When will you be back?"

"They said filming on location would take a month," Hinata frowned, "But we'll come back as soon as that's done."

"I miss you already," Naruto's while body felt heavier with that revelation, "Stay safe and come back soon, okay Hinata?"

"I...promise," Hinata answered with a warm smile. Before Naruto knew it, Hinata had her arms wrapped around him. Naruto happily returned the hug, loving every moment of Hinata's warm body pressed against him. However, he couldn't hold her forever and he let go so she could join her team as they boarded one of the carts. Naruto waved good bye to Hinata and watched as the carts disappeared from view. There was an empty feeling in his chest, like he just lost something dear. A month without her. Naruto had no idea how he would get to the end of that.

...

**Author's Note:** That is all for tonight, dear readers! My next update will be in eight weeks on Friday, December 30th. If you loved it, let me know in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on the Facebook or the Playstation Network (PSN ID leo112358). However, please let me know that you read these stories because I tend to ignore invites from random people I don't know. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	46. The Sit Down

**Disclaimer**: Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as an animated series by Viz Media. The Art of War is a widely published text originally written Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicate, the Kaki Alliance, the Shirotsuki Clan, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi Ryouke, Kuroihi Yamato, Kasen Eiji, Yagami Shinji, Utawa Miji, Doragon Gan, and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Note**: Greetings fellow lovers of the internet, anime, videogames, and fanfiction! As you may already know: voting on SOPA has been postponed. This does not mean it's over or we've won. This bill arms the MPAA and the RIAA with everything they need to destroy the internet as we know it. Even worse? It's wordings are so loose that it puts a target on everyone whose ever is unfortunate enough to be in front of it. Work with your local representative to stop SOPA in its tracks.

In other news, thanks for your patience in between updates, which I know have been very far apart recently. I also want to thank you all for coming this far with me which is why I've also included a special bonus story to accompany Oyabun. You can find it on my profile as Oyabun: Affair in the Land of Snow. Let's also say that this chapter marks the end of middle and the beginning of the final act of the story. I want to thank my editor Kells for always beta-ing my stories for me. Now on to review responses:

**EVA-Saiyajin**: Ah! My apologies, that was a technical error on my part. I'll make a mental of that for the future.

**Dark Ravie**: Wait no more for here it is.

**Yikari**: This is my alternative interpretation, although it makes the strong assumption that Sakura and Ino are pretty stupid. It goes like this: Sakura and Ino think Hinata is the least experienced of the three when it comes to boys, even though Hinata is by far the superior kunoichi - ironically, she is also the only one with a boyfriend. They acted rashly on the premise that Naruto was going to do something perverted on their date and Hinata, being the shy little innocent girl they believe she is, would do whatever Naruto wanted without question. Needless to say, they were dead wrong. Admittedly, that last chapter was more for me and I planned it a long time ago. I'm just surprised it took me this long to get to it. My goal is to wrap up Oyabun by Chapter 50 if not before then. Also, Sai finally makes an appearance - however brief it is. Enjoy him while you can.

**Spector29**: This chapter was planned a long time ago and it never occurred to me scrutinize the chapter until after the fact. At the same time, I am of the opinion that Sakura and Ino are the least bright bulbs in the bunch; they are roughly on the same level as Misa Amane from Death Note i.e. madly in love with a psychopath who would dispose of them on a whim if it meant furthering his own goals.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 45: The Sit Down**

Naruto leaned against the guard rail and watched the party unfold below him from the VIP section that oversaw the whole club. It was dark and smelled of smoke and alcohol. Naruto didn't care for it but everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves. The crowd below him danced to the beat of the music as it boomed loudly. Others surrounded the bar at the far end of the club to flirt or get themselves a good drink. Under normal circumstances, Naruto knew he would never be allowed here and he wouldn't even think to come here. As the head of the most powerful organization in the village, and because many of the clansmen wanted to celebrate recent successes, Naruto didn't really have much choice in the matter. The club was reserved for the night and the party was thrown.

The loud music pounded on his head. He wasn't sure whether it was good or not, since the only discernible noise he could hear was the boom of the subwoofer. That seemed to be enough for the clan so he didn't protest.

He busied himself with wondering how Hinata and Haku were doing. It had been a week since they left and it was a long one at that. There was a soft tap on his shoulder and Naruto saw a pale faced boy about his age. He had short black hair combed to one side of his face and wore the most effeminate clothing he'd seen since Haku: A black turtle neck with a midriff that exposed a well toned abs, skin tight black plants that left little to the imagination, black sandals, and black gloves. Naruto's first guess was the kid was gay and hunting for a partner for the night, but that was too perverted and didn't explain how he got into the VIP section. His second guess was the kid was a shinobi sent to kill him, but he didn't look armed or threatening. Naruto kept a hand on his katana and asked, "Can I help you?"

"You're Boss Kitsune, aren't you?" the boy stated bluntly, "You're not as tough as I thought you'd be. You actually kind of look like a girl. I mean, I was told you were a boy - but now I'm not sure. Do you even have a dick?"

These words were all it took to set Naruto off, instinctively pulling his katana until he remembered he was the head of the Kitsune Clan. He couldn't let a few words from some kid in a club get to him - that would be bad for business. He put the katana back and frowned, "I am the head of the Kitsune Clan. I hope you don't talk like that to everyone you meet. You'll make a lot of enemies that way."

"Sai! What are you doing there? This spot is for senior clansmen only," Shinji appeared beside Sai. He locked arms with Sai and started dragging him back, "I just wanted to speak with the chairman."

"You can speak with him by appointment, if he speaks with you, or if we introduce you to him first," Shinji wrestled with the kid, "Now get!"

"Can't you just introduce us?" Sai asked cluelessly.

"You already gave yourself quite the introduction kid," Shinji explained, finally pushing Sai out of the VIP area. He heaved a sigh, "I'm sorry about that Oyabun."

"Who was that?" Naruto pointed at Sai before he disappeared into the dance floor.

"Sai - some poor kid one of the guys found in an alleyway. He bought the kid a meal, got him some clothes, and is putting him up in one of our renovated apartments," Shinji explained, "Turns out he's a good artist so I was thinking of recommending him to be our new tattoo artist. We've been needing one since Moto got killed during the attack on the village."

"After he acted like that? Forget it," Naruto crossed his arms. Shinji shrugged, "Okay, so he's a bit socially awkward and could insult a person without trying. But his heart's in the right place and that's all that matters, right?"

"I'll think it over. But look into this kid - I don't want him in the clan when I don't know a damn thing about him," Naruto said. Shinji nodded, appearing relieved, "I'll get right on that. There's one more thing, Oyabun. There's a little kid wandering around the club asking for you. Do you want me to kick him out?"

"Are you kidding? How did a kid get in here?" Naruto asked, unable to believe a little kid was able to slip past the bouncers at the door into a place like this.

"We figured it would be harmless enough," Shinji explained happily, "I mean he walked in under a box and kept saying he was a rock."

Naruto instantly knew he it was and wished he didn't, "I'll go take care of it."

He walked downstairs towards the dance floor and kept an eye open for this kid in case he suddenly appeared and made a scene. He'd rather the kid be caught off guard than himself. He walked along the edge of the dance room, looking around for any sign of either the kid or the box he would be crawling around in. As soon as he got to the bar, he heard a loud cry. He turned around to see a young boy wearing a yellow shirt marked with the symbol of Konoha, a long blue scarf, and a set of goggles on his head. The boy was in the air with a plastic kunai knife raised over his head. As he descended upon Naruto, Naruto took the chance to draw his katana and block the kunai in the boy's hand. With the same motion, he grabbed the boy by his scarf and spun him into the ground.

The boy wore a surprised expression on his face and looked up at Naruto to see half of the Kitsune Clan pointing weapons at him while he was on the ground. With a stupid grin, he said, "Just what I'd expect from the boss!"

Naruto waved his clansmen back and offered the boy a hand, "What are you doing here Konohamaru?"

"I heard you were down here tonight boss!"

"Don't call me boss," Naruto said flatly. He pulled Konohamaru up, turned to his clansmen and said, "A round of drinks on me!"

There were cheers and many of the clansmen went to the bar right away while Naruto wrapped an arm around Konohamaru to drag him away. He led the boy up to the VIP area and they sat on one of the couches, "It's good to see you Konohamaru. How've you been?"

"Fine, I guess," Konohamaru frowned, "The new Hokage is moving into the old man's office tomorrow. They've already started moving his things out. It's like the whole village is just deciding to forget about him."

"You really miss the him don't you?" Naruto asked. Konohamaru nodded quietly, "I don't get it! Why did they replace him? There's no way someone like her could ever be Hokage! She's a girl!"

"So you're saying she can't be Hokage because she's a girl," Naruto repeated back to him with a hint of cynicism, hoping the kid would catch on to how stupid that sounded. Konohamaru nodded, "Yeah! Girls can't be Hokage!"

Konohamaru clearly didn't realize what he was saying. With a frown, Naruto said, "The title of Hokage is given to the most powerful shinobi in the village. Right now, that's Tsunade. Unless you're saying you can take her."

"I can totally beat her!" Konohamaru punched a fist into the air, "After all! I'm going to be the next Hokage, remember?"

"And how are you going to do that?" Naruto looked Konohamaru in the eye, "She is a Sannin - one of the Legendary Three shinobi."

"I don't know yet but I'll think of something! And then everyone will make me Hokage instead!" Konohamaru declared aloud. Naruto forced himself to hold back a laugh. Konohamaru seriously seemed to believe it would be that easy. Naruto wasn't too concerned for Tsunade - she could take Konohamaru easily. It was Konohamaru he was worried for because he knew Tsunade had enough strength in her little finger to send Konohamaru across the village. He wasn't going to help the boy overthrow an important associate though but he did want to impart some wisdom to the boy, "You know, Konohamaru, there's a proverb that goes: 'he knows neither himself nor his enemy will lose every battle he fights'."

"Where'd you hear that?" Konohamaru asked.

"The Art of War by Sun Tzu," Naruto said, "It means that you shouldn't rush into anything without at least knowing what you're capable of. Do you think you can beat her by yourself?"

"Yeah! No problem!" Konohamaru stated cheered, "I'll wipe the floor with her!"

"You're overestimating your ability and underestimating hers," Naruto explained, "Talk as loud and as tough as you want: she'll still beat you any day of the week."

"So, then how am I supposed to beat her?" Konohamaru demand. Naruto shrugged. He wouldn't think of harming Tsunade only because he knew that she was more valuable as an ally than an enemy. He shrugged and leaned back into the couch, "I don't know. A good place to start would be to gauge her strength - see how strong she is and how strong you need to be to beat her."

"Gauge her strength? You mean like test her?" Konohamaru asked. Naruto nodded and lay back, "Sure, why not?"

"Okay! I get it!" Konohamaru cheered, jumping up and making a beeline for the door. Naruto called after the boy before he could get too far, "Where're you going?"

"To go get ready!" Konohamaru yelled back before he ran out the door. Naruto would have no clue what Konohamaru meant by this until the following day. He awoke to the sound of knocking coming from his bedroom door. His alarm clock read 9 AM. He was late for work and it was probably one of the clansmen at the door looking for him. He cracked a yawn and rolled off the bed, feeling his head pounding from the night before. He opened the door to see not just a clansman, but also one of the village shinobi. Naruto didn't like where this was going. The last time a shinobi appeared at his doorstep, it was to arrest him. He looked over his shoulder to confirm that Kitsune was in reach.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Lady Hokage wants to see you right away," the shinobi said. Naruto's clansman was quick to correct the shinobi, "You'll call him either Chairman or Boss Kitsune!"

"Those are titles of respect, and I have no respect for this brat," the shinobi growled. Naruto could see his clansman try to hold back a punch, a point Naruto was happy about. Naruto nodded at his clansmen and told the shinobi, "Let me grab some pants first."

Naruto changed out of his pajamas and threw on a suit. He also made sure he had both of his katana ready on him in case things went sour. Once he straightened himself out and had two clansmen ready to go with him, he joined the shinobi who led him to the Hokage's tower. Naruto speculated why Tsunade would be summoning him, if she was at all. Tsunade wouldn't betray Naruto because of their arrangement. The whole world knew she was Hokage, which meant every organization she owed money to was finally collecting. This meant her debts were now the village's debts and that sum would break the village's back considering its current financial state. She need Naruto and the Kitsune if she was ever going to see that debt paid. Of course, it hadn't escaped him that one of the village elders may try to kill him - if anything he was surprised that it would take this long for them to bother.

Inside the tower, Naruto found a small gathering of variously ranked shinobi at the door to the Hokage's office. Among them were Tsunade, Shizune and her pig, Iruka, and Konohamaru's old teacher, Ebisu, who pounded on the door loudly, "Honorable grandson! Please open this door this instant!"

"Naruto!" Iruka called out to him in surprise.

"Iruka-sensei, what's going on?" Naruto asked his former sensei. Iruka frowned, "Konohamaru barricaded himself inside the Hokage's office and he refuses to come out. There's something else though. He said you told him to do it."

"NO!" Konohamaru's voice called out from within suddenly. A tile in the ceiling above Ebisu gave way for a series of pans to fall on his head. Ebisu yelped in pain and fell to the ground writhing, "Honorable grandson, how?"

"I said no one is getting in and that's that!" Konohamaru shouted through the door. Tsunade frowned at that remark and asked Shizune, "When is that kid getting here?"

"Uzumaki Naruto, reporting," Naruto bowed to Tsunade, putting on a show for theo ther shinobi. As far as they knew, Naruto and Tsunade had absolutely no previous encounters with each other beyond when he backed her during the election, although some did suspect the two we're connected. With a smile, Naruto added, "How may I be of service to the village?"

"You can start by kicking the Third's grandson out of my office," Tsunade ordered with a hint of frustration, "He also said that you put him up to this. Care to explain what that means?"

"I think I have an idea," Naruto said. He strode through the gathering of shinobi and knocked on the door, "Konohamaru! It's Naruto! I heard you were causing trouble."

"I'm doing what you said to do, Boss! You told me to gauge the old lady's strength to see if I could beat her or not!" Konohamaru said through the door. Naruto could feel the intensity of the glares from the shinobi behind him. He tried to ignore it and casually answered, "Yeah, I said that hoping you'd realize Lady Tsunade is rightfully Hokage. I don't recall ever telling you to barricade yourself in her office. Probably because that idea is so stupid."

"It's grandpa's office and no one else's! Now go away! Tell that old hag that if she wants her office then she can come in herself," Konohamaru shouted back. Naruto heard a clunk and looked up to see another tile in the ceiling give way for a wash basin to fall. Naruto drew Kitsune from its scabbard and managed to slice the basin in half before it fell on his head - the two pieces falling off to the side. Naruto replaced Kitsune in its scabbard and started focusing his chakra inside the scabbard. He didn't want to hurt Konohamaru or the office, although putting things in perspective weren't too far out of the question. With a calm voice he explained, "Konohamaru, this is ridiculous. Open the door and come out."

"No! If you want me out, then the old lady will have to kick me out!" Konohamaru screamed back. Naruto took a step back just as a set of bottles fell from the ceiling above and shattered at his feet. Naruto sighed, "I'm trying to be nice Konohamaru. I'll give you one last chance to open the door before I blow it down."

"Go ahead and try!" Konohamaru spouted back. Naruto adjusted his scabbard so that it pointed at the door and then drew the katana, "Lady Hokage, I promise I'll buy you a new door. Kenton! Rasengan no Ken!"

Naruto freed his katana, firing a small blast of chakra from his scabbard. The blast blew the doors open, clearing free a bookshelf and a desk that slid towards the back wall. Inside was Konohamaru holding several ropes in his hand. Naruto walked towards him with katana in hand in case Konohamaru had more traps. Naruto spoke with a gentle tone, "There you are Konohamaru! Listen, let the ropes go and let's talk okay?"

"Go away!" Konohamaru yanked on one of the ropes. A compartment in one of the walls popped open to fire a wave of kunai. Naruto stopped in his tracks and watched the kunai fly past in front of him. Konohamaru pulled another rope and this time a series of pots and pans fell from the ceiling behind Naruto. Naruto rested his katana on his shoulder and asked, "Are you done? I just want to talk."

Konohamaru stared at Naruto threateningly for a moment, an intimidating sight in its own right. Naruto couldn't back down from this though, he still had an image to maintain as the head of the Kitsune Clan. He resheathed his katana and walked straight towards Konohamaru. Konohamaru pulled the rest of the ropes, deploying every single trap he had. The first was a spring loaded catapult that fired a pipe, some plastic kunai and shuriken, some scrolls, and a few books at him. The second dropped a crock pot from the ceiling. The last deployed several stones from a hidden compartment on the Hokage's desk. Naruto raised his arms up in defense, shielding himself from as much of the barrage as possible.

Only it never came. He looked forward and saw Tsunade standing in front of him, catching each of the projectiles and tossing them aside harmlessly. Naruto could've sworn she winked at Konohamaru after the last projectile hit the ground. She shoved past Konohamaru, knocking the boy to the ground, and retrieved a book from inside the Hokage's desk, "Here it is. Let's see what that old man was thinking with the team assignments ...hm, latest team assignments."

Tsunade started reading the book and wandered out of the room, muttering to herself incoherently. Several of the shinobi took off after her, while others entered the room to clean up the mess made by Konohamaru. While they worked, Naruto went up to Konohamaru, "Now do you think she deserves to be Hokage?"

"I had no idea someone like her could be so strong," Konohamaru said quietly. Naruto saw the awe in his eyes as he looked out the door where Tsunade walked away. His tone was empty as he kept talking, "I threw everything at her and she didn't even flinch. I wasn't strong enough to take her...I couldn't even touch her."

"She was made Hokage for a reason," Naruto put a hand on Konohamaru's head, "I told you the title of Hokage is given to the most powerful shinobi in the village. So are you going to acknowledge her as the Hokage now?"

"Y-yeah. She's the hokage," Konohamaru, his voice still indicating some disbelief. Naruto smiled and patted Konohamaru, "I'm glad you accept her. Now go apologize and I'll buy you some ramen."

"Okay," Konohamaru answered quietly, walking out of the office to find Lady Tsunade. Naruto folded his arms across his chest and followed Konohamaru out of the office, watching him try to apologize to Tsunade. After he finally managed to force something vaguely like an apology out, Naruto took Konohamaru to Ichiraku Ramen for some lunch. While they helped themselves to food, one of Naruto's clansmen came looking for him, "Oyabun! I'm sorry to bother you, but you're needed back at the office right away!"

"What is it?" Naruto asked, not even bothering to look up from his bowl of chicken ramen. The clansman's voice was anxious, "It's Chairman Sakurazaki, he's asking to see you."

"Hashi-sensei?" Naruto said in surprise. He put the bowl of ramen up to his mouth and swallowed the remainder whole. He left more than enough money on the counter to pay for his and Konohamaru's meal, "I've gotta go Konohamaru. We'll hang out another time, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Konohamaru waved goodbye to Naruto. Naruto hurried his way back to the Kitsune Main Office and found Hashi waiting for him inside his office, staring out the window with his hands clasped behind his back. He dressed in the same black Kuroihi attire, except with a

"Hello Hashi-sensei. I didn't keep you waiting, did I?" Naruto bowed before Hashi. Hashi turned to see Naruto with a smile on his face, "Hello Naruto. I've been here about an hour."

"I'm sorry, I was-"

"I know, I heard you were summoned by Lady Hokage," Hashi said with a smile. He stepped aside so Naruto could take his seat behind the desk while Hashi leaned against the back wall, "The entire syndicate knows about your actions recently. The chairman is especially pleased - having a controlling interest in one of the shinobi villages is unheard of - especially by a wakashu of the main family. It's upset the balance of power between the Four Syndicates and a sit down has been called. The chairman, as the most powerful of the four, insists that the sit down is held here in Konoha. The others have agreed as long as there is a guarantee that no harm comes to them. I came here to let you know to take care of all the arrangements."

"Okay, I can do that."

"This is very important, Naruto," Hashi said seriously, "There will be a lot of important people here. Not just the kumichos of the Four Syndicates - heads of some of the powerful organizations in the world will be present to make sure no back-stabbing happens. Even the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was asked to be there. It's important that nothing goes wrong."

"I got it. Did Chairman Kuroihi ask for anything specific?"

"Yeah, there's a bank in the market district where a lot of meetings happen. Reserve the large conference room for a week from now. Lock down the area for the day - no one gets in or out without an invitation from the chairman."

"I'll talk to Gan and have him take care of it," Naruto answered.

"You mean Han."

"What?"

"Han, I'm pretty sure his name is pronounced Han."

"Really? He's never corrected me on it. I've always thought his name was Gan."

"Hm..."

"Maybe we should ask him about that?"

...

Naruto spoke with Gan and he took care of all the arrangements. The bank conference room was reserved for the meeting and all available hands were put on guard duty. Not just Naruto's clansmen, but also Gan's free employees. Anyone who wasn't busy with other jobs was positioned casually at the gates or along the roads to the bank. Gan personally stayed by the gates with his puppet so that each of the organization heads weren't harassed by the village shinobi and knew where to go. Naruto used a favor with Tsunade so that the shinobi would be a little more lax with so many important people present.

Naruto himself spent a significant amount of time getting dressed, making sure his suit was neatly pressed and put on correctly; A nice double-breasted black blazer over an orange business shirt tucked into a pair of black trousers. He took the time to make sure his collar wasn't up and his black tie was straight. His hair was another matter, long and unkempt which he had difficulty managing because it was naturally messy. He still had his goggles on but kept them around his neck instead of over his head. He also made sure he had both Kitsune and Kusanagi on him in case things went south. Once he was satisfied with his appearance, Naruto walked the heavily guarded route to the bank. The streets were quieter than usual, many citizens busied themselves inside the stores while those who were out in the streets hurried to their destination to get off the street as soon as possible. Naruto reached the bank quickly due to the empty streets, finding Hashi waiting at the door to the conference room with Keitaro and several other clansmen.

"Hey, you're early sensei," Naruto greeted with a bow, "What are all these guys for?"

"Interpreters," Hashi explained, "Not all of our guests speak our language."

"So are some coming from your home land, Keitaro?" Naruto asked the man. Keitaro ran a hand through his hair and frowned, "Yeah, some old acquaintances."

"By the way, one of your clansmen had a letter for you. He said it came by courier shinobi and it looked important," Hashi said, pulling an envelope from his coat pocket and handing it to Naruto.

"Courier shinobi?" Naruto asked curiously.

"They're like mailmen," Hashi explained, handing the envelope to Naruto. He tore the envelope open and read its contents. It was a letter from Haku about the events in the Land of Snow since they arrived there. Haku and Hinata were alright, but his subordinate and Gan's employee were killed during a run in with local shinobi. It went on to say the country's situation was only slightly different from the situation in the Land of Waves. The Kitsune could expand into the country by backing the local resistance. All Haku needed was supplies: food, weapons, and a few more men to supplement the resistance. It all seemed reasonable enough and he made a mental note to take care of it later.

Naruto put the letter in his coat pocket and went into the conference room to make sure everything was in order. A long table was set up in the middle of the room with enough chairs for each of the organization leaders. There was a small table set to the side lined with wine bottles and glasses for each of the leaders. The blinds to the windows had been closed, shrouding the room in darkness so that the only light came from the chandelier that hung from the ceiling. Everything was in order, now all he had to do was wait for the clan heads to arrive and greet them at the front of the bank.

They came one at a time, some more lavishly than others. Chairman Kuroihi was the first to appear, arriving in an ox pulled carriage with several guards and his son Yamato. The chairman came dressed in a white kimono while his son was dressed in a formal black suit. The next to arrive was an elderly gentleman dressed in a tan suit with a single body guard, a large man dressed in metallic armor that completely concealed his figure. From the color of his suit, Naruto supposed the old man was here to represent the Enkou Syndicate.

"Chairman Enkou," Naruto greeted with a bow. The old man simply nodded back and kept walking into the bank, followed by his guard. After him was a rotund man wearing a blue suit complete with a blue bowler. He had two guards with him armed with very large swords that reminded him of Zabuza's blade only without the hole in the middle. Naruto remembered blue meant the Kaki Brotherhood, so he bowed and greeted the man, "Chairman Kaki."

"Good day," the man said with hearty laugh, patting Naruto on the head and continuing into the bank. A few minutes passed before the next one arrived, a young man who looked to be in his late twenties. He was dressed in a white kimono, a red vest with pale circle emblazoned on the front, and a red sash around his waist. He had no guards but was armed with a very long katana that looked too big to hold with one hand. Naruto supposed that white and red motif meant he was from the Shirotsuki Clan and greeted him with a bow, "Chairman Shirotsuki."

"Hi," the man greeted with a bow. Those were probably the heads of the Four Syndicates but there were still four other guests coming. The first appeared right away, a young woman wearing the strangest clothes Naruto had ever seen. She dressed in a black robe under a long red vest and wore what looked like a priest's hat. The way she walked made it look as if she glided across the ground and was guarded by four soldiers in full battle armor armed with spears. They came to a stop outside and waited there while she continued inside. Naruto bowed to her as she passed but the woman continued in without responding in kind.

Naruto assumed she was probably from some distant land because of the way she dressed and waited about ten minutes for the next one to arrive. This person was a middle aged man with brown hair combed to one side of his face and dressed in a grey turtleneck underneath matching brown jacket and slacks. He had two guards with him, a young man dressed similarly and an elderly gentleman dressed who wore a collared T-shirt and khakis. Naruto bowed and let them in, each returning his greeting with a pat on the head.

After them was an old man dressed completely in a black suit with the exception of a single green vest and green scarf. He was escorted by two men also dressed in black suits, shades, and green ties. They nodded at Naruto as they went in. That left one last guest; a young man wearing a maroon suit who supported a limp leg with a crutch. He had two similarly dressed guards in bowler hats who held the door open for him as he went in. Naruto followed after them into the conference room to find each of the organization leaders present. Each of them were allowed one guard inside the conference room, and had their weapons on display in the table. Sitting at the head of the table was Chairman Kuroihi who actually looked serious for the first time Naruto knew him.

Naruto took his place along the edge of the room and stood with his hands behind his back while the old man spoke, "I want to thank you all for taking the time to come out here; Chairman Enkou from the Land of Wind, Chairman Kaki from the Land of Lightning, and Chairman Shirotsuki from the Land of Water. I also want to thank our international associates for coming, Don Palermo representing our western associates, Boss Borislav representing our allies in the north, Lady Eun representing our interests in the Far Mountains, and of course Master Hsin representing our friends in the Land of Dragons. With the four of you here, I'm sure a peaceable agreement will be reached. I think we should all give our thanks to Chairman Kitsune for making the arrangements for today - and Lady Eun who has volunteered to mediate our peace talks today."

There were some nods while the interpreters translated Kuroihi's words for the international associates. Once the last person finished, the woman from before nodded and started speaking. The translator beside her spoke, "Lady Eun says that it's an honor to meet with each of the kumicho today, and is especially surprised to learn Chairman Kitsune is much younger than the rumors suggested. She's heard a lot of rumors about what caused this war and after listening to what each kumicho had to say she has come to following conclusion; a man named Orochimaru is the apparent root of all this chaos. It seems he convinced many of your subordinates to turn on each other and against yourselves. It appears his plan was to disrupt the established order and destroy it. Can everyone here agree with this?"

"Whether or not this was Orochimaru's true goal is a moot point now. The fact is he's convinced my men to forsake the code of honor we live by," the robust Kaki chairman interrupted, "I've done my best to keep them to our code, but Orochimaru comes to them with promises of power and wealth - all they have to do is live for themselves. He tells them to forget the code, do whatever it takes to get power and money! They do horrible things, and it makes them rich! It makes them greedy. It makes them want more than they can get, until they kill one another for the other's share!"

"I've seen the same thing in my own businesses. For generations, my family safe guarded the rice fields of the Land of Water," Chairman Shirotsuki spoke, "Then Orochimaru destroys the farms! The farmers lost faith in my ability to protect them, so they turned to others to protect them. Without any money, my own people became desperate. They started to leave the organization and looked for other forms of work! They became thugs, bandits, sell swords, kidnappers, and thieves."

It was the man in green identified as Don Palermo who spoke next. His interpreter was Keitaro, who allowed Palermo to speak for a bit before continuing, "Don Palermo wants the kumicho of the Four Syndicates to know that they should be ashamed for allowing themselves to be played against each other by this Orochimaru. To become so arrogant that a single man could trick you to turn on each other is ridiculous."

Don Palermo was interrupted when Lady Eun slammed her hand against the table to silence him. She waved at her interpreter and started talking, "That's only half of the story, Don Palermo. Orochimaru also turned the Sunagakure and Konohagakure - two of the strongest shinobi villages - against each other in a bid to destroy both and capture some some animals; I think they were a fox and tanuki. Clearly Orochimaru is much more powerful than you're giving him credit for. After the chaos, only the Kuroihi's associates remained in Konoha. It wouldn't take much for the other syndicates to blame the Kuroihi for planning the attack with Orochimaru. Isn't that right, Chairman Kuroihi?"

What Lady Eun said about the fox and tanuki caught his attention. Naruto never did forget about the giant Tanuki that Gaara turned into, nor did he forget about the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside him. It had been a long time since Naruto heard the fox's voice or felt its power - something Naruto was truly thankful for.

"My family had nothing to do with Orochimaru's attack," Chairman Kuroihi said, "The fact the other kumicho blame me for losing their interests was unforgivable. What was more unforgivable, was that they forget - their associates moved in on my territory first. The death of my Wakashu, Dewaya Yahiko, was all it took for your associates to start needlessly attacking! Were it not for the actions of Chairman Kitsune, the Kuroihi would no longer be in Konoha!"

"Konoha has been the center of the Kuroihi's power for many years," Chairman Enkou interjected, "The Kuroihi's controlling interest in it is what maintained this so called balance of power for so long, they intimidated other organizations from daring to challenge them. We, that is the Enkou, Kaki, and Shirotsuki, saw an opportunity to shift the balance in our favor. You really aren't suggesting you wouldn't have done the same if you were in our position, are you?"

"I wouldn't because I didn't need to," the chairman said back, "My organization has always held the philosophy of treasuring family and friends over anything else. We believe that then, and we believe it now."

"Boss Borislav would like to note we're getting off topic," a translator said for the man identified as Boss Borislav, "He came here today to broker a peace. The fighting between you four is hurting business everywhere - even in the far north. Either come to an agreement now, or business relations are off."

"Lady Eun says Boss Borislav is right," Lady Eun's interpreter said for her, "We're here to broker a truce. She proposes that each of the other three remaining Syndicates be allowed a controlling interest in the other shinobi villages because of the Kuroihi's controlling influence in Konoha."

"I came here today, hoping we could reason together," Chairman Kuroihi said, "Our control in Konoha is the reason we've been the most powerful for so long. Do you really expect me to surrender that privilege because these three didn't like the way things were before?"

"If it means peace, then yes," Lady Eun's interpreter said.

"I can agree to those terms under the following arrangement: they can have their villages if and only if the Kuroihi are allowed to continue operating in each village. I want a guarantee that no harm will come to my associates while they work," the chairman said flatly, running a hand over his head. The three other kumicho looked at Chairman Kuroihi angrily. Chairman Enkou was the first to speak out, "That would do nothing but put things back to the way they were! This conflict will happen all over again!"

"I'm sorry Chairman Enkou, but did you forget that my family is the only one with the resources to continue fighting?" Chairman Kuroihi said adamantly, "The Enkou, Kaki, and Shirotsuki are on their knees. I called this talk to let you know I was willing to broker a peace, to let the past go and move forward. Remember that I have nothing to lose if we end these talks without a peace agreement. We can keep fighting if you wish, just remember that you will lose everything if that happens. I'd like our foreign associates to remember that one organization is easier to deal with than four always at each other's throats."

Naruto couldn't believe what he was seeing. Chairman Kuroihi was strong arming the other kumichos and looked like he was rallying the foreigners to his side. The other heads looked at each other with frustration, and Lady Eun was the one who spoke next, "We will go with whatever prevents a prolonged conflict."

"And I can guarantee that if no peace is made today, it would take my organization just a month to completely destroy them," Chairman Kuroihi said confidently, motioning to the other three kumichos, "My question is would these three like to walk away knowing they will still have everything a month from now?"

"I quits" Chairman Shirotsuki nodded, "I can agree to Chairman Kuroihi's terms. We'll take the controlling interest in Kirigakure no Sato and allow the Kuroihi to continue operating there. But I want the other clans out."

"The same. I'll take the controlling interest in the Cloud Village and the Kuroihi will be the only ones not driven out," Kaki agreed, hanging his head down. All eyes were on Chairman Enkou now, who looked at Kaki and Shirotsuki in disbelief. Chairman Enkou's face distorted into ugly rage and his voice roared as he rose from his chair, "If this the way things are going to be, then I want no part of it! As of this moment, the Enkou are done with all of you! If things won't change, I'll make them!"

Chairman Enkou and his bodyguard marched out of the room. The remaining kumichos looked at each other quietly, worry written on all of their faces. The international bosses looked the most irritated, even though their interpreters had not said anything. Don Palermo was the first to speak, his interpreter explaining, "Don Palermo assumes that Chairman Enkou has refused a peace agreement?"

"Unfortunately," Chairman Kaki answered. This caused a stir among the international correspondents until Lady Eun called order, "Chairman Kuroihi, how long will it take you to deal with the Enkou entirely?"

"Seeing as it's just the one, a week. Maybe less," Chairman Kuroihi shrugged, "They're on the run. They've lost most of their associates and business. He has nowhere left to rest his head. The way things stand: Chairman Enkou is making a very dangerous gambit. He's betting everything on this gamble, but he's not going to win. What we should be concerning ourselves with is what to do with Chairman Enkou's assets so that another war doesn't start."

"Split it evenly," Master Hsin's interpreter said for him, "Let the three remaining families share the free power evenly. There will be no imbalance of power."

"Agreed," Chairman Kuroihi nodded, "I also think we should share the services of the Suna ninja. The three of us allowed to operate there equally. Do you two agree?"

"Stop strong-arming us, Ryouke," Shirotsuki protested, "It insults our intelligence. We're willing to make concessions, so stop dancing around it like we haven't noticed."

The whole table agreed quietly and Chairman Kuroihi shrugged, "I'll assume that's a yes. Since that's settled, I just want everyone here to give me one week to make the necessary arrangements. After that, Chairman Enkou will no longer bother anyone."

"With that said, I would like to call this meeting adjourned," Lady Eun's interpreter said for her. Each of the three remaining kumichos stood from their seats and bowed to one another. Only Chairman Kuroihi looked victorious, while Chairman Kaki and Shirotsuki appeared relieved and defeated. Master Hsin and Boss Borislav said their goodbyes before departing immediately. The other two kumichos joined them while Don Palermo started talking to Keitaro in their strange language. Chairman Kuroihi spoke with Hashi about Yamato, asking Yamato if he learned anything from the day's discussion.

Naruto however was in stunned amazement. This was supposed to be a peace meeting right? Yet Chairman Kuroihi was somehow managing to get the others to go along with whatever he wanted. Stranger still was that none of the international associates could be bothered to help either Chairman Shirotsuki nor Chairman Kaki. More alarming was news that Orochimaru was the root of all this. He had seen the man a few times, but never expected him to be this involved in the chaos. Of course, the fact that Orochimaru went so far to capture a fox and tanuki was scary in its own right. He hoped Lady Eun didn't mean himself and Gaara - something about Orochimaru never felt right to Naruto. He did not want to be captured by the man. Of course, Naruto had to wonder if Orochimaru was the one Itachi meant when he said his associates were after Naruto.

This whole matter was more than a little unnerving for Naruto and he went for the door but was stopped by Lady Eun at the door, "It's an honor to meet the young Chairman Uzumaki 'Kitsune' Naruto."

"Wait, you speak-"

"Being multilingual is important when you have a responsibility like mine. That interpreter was mostly for show," Lady Eun interrupted, "If it's alright with you, I'd like to have a little chat."

"I'm sorry, I have other things to attend to," Naruto told her, trying to step past her only for her to continue getting in front of him, "I insist. It will only take a moment."

"Okay, I'll listen but please make it quick," Naruto answered, folding his arms across his chest. Lady Eun nodded with a smile, "You've become quite famous during your tenure as the head of the Kuroihi's Konoha branch. A child, barely scratching his teens, outfighting the other clans and seizing all of Konoha for the Kuroihi. I've also come to understand that you have connections within Konoha's shinobi ranks, as well as the respected Uchiha Clan, Hyuuga Clan, and Sarutobi Clan. Not only that, but you're in the good graces of both Chairman Kuroihi and Chairman Sakurazaki. To accomplish so much at such a young age-"

"Is there a point to this?" Naruto asked, "I'm kind of busy."

"Forgive me, I like to ramble," Lady Eun laughed, "But I do have a something important to ask. Tell me, how did one kid do all that? For any one child to do what you've done, some would think this child is a demon."

"Is it that hard to believe?" Naruto asked, masking the anger burning inside of him. Lady Eun was questioning everything he did and calling him a demon. Naruto hated that word. It brought up too many memories of his life before the Kuroihi, when nobody gave him a second glance. Naruto reminded himself that it was all in the past and he had come a long way since then. However, Lady Eun remained skeptical and continued, "During our time in the discussion, I felt a presence. It was faint, but it was there. It was a dark entity full of malice and...insanity. I wasn't sure where it was coming from at first, but it became clear as the meeting went on. It comes from you. Tell me, are you really a human?"

"What kind of question is that?" Naruto asked quietly, finding it harder to hold in his anger. Lady Eun chuckled, "Just wondering. I noticed those two swords you have: the Kitsune and the Kusanagi. Kusanagi, the blessed blade of the winds - forged from one of the tails of the eight headed serpent. The other, Kitsune, is a cursed sword forged from a broken claw of the Nine Tailed Fox and infused with its residual chakra. A blade of the heavens, and a saber of the damned. How does one come into possession of that kind of power?"

"Are we done here? Because I do have work to get to," Naruto stated. Lady Eun nodded, "I'm done. Just keep one thing in mind Chairman Kitsune: What you're doing isn't going unnoticed. We will be watching you."

"I'll keep it mind," Naruto answered, wondering what the hell she meant by that. Lady Eun took a bow and departed after that. Naruto then let the other Kuroihi heads he would be going as well and left. Naruto went straight back to office to start work. He had to make arrangements to send supplies to the Land of Snow.

...

**Author's Note**: That's all for now folks! My next update will be in eight weeks on Friday, February 24th. If you loved it, let me know in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on the Facebook or the Playstation Network (PSN ID leo112358). However, please let me know that you read these stories because I tend to ignore invites from random people I don't know. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	47. The Sound Four

Disclaimer: Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as an animated series by Viz Media. The Art of War is a widely published text originally written Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicate, the Kaki Alliance, the Shirotsuki Clan, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi Ryouke, Kuroihi Yamato, Kasen Eiji, Yagami Shinji, Utawa Miji, Doragon Gan, and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

Author's Note: Good evening fellow readers. I apologize that this update is coming up so late. To be honest, I'm not satisfied with this chapter mostly because it was rushed and I had to focus most of the writing on Takato's Light 2: Hikari's Hazard. This is the unfortunate cost of writing two fics simultaneously. I won't make excuses though, I budgeted my time poorly and I apologize. I want to thank my friend Kells who got this story back to me fast despite me getting it to her very late. I also apologize for any plot errors that are present. Now on to review responses:

Armor of Geddon: It's good to hear from you after your long absence. In consideration of your points regarding Misa, you're right. Misa is more capable than Light, if only because she's not afraid to do what she has to. Concerning Ino, that is an agreeable point and I will concede Ino's maturity. Admittedly, Sakura doesn't get portrayed with any justice in this chapter. I was trying to stay close to cannon, but it was impossible to make it work. I hope you can forgive this.

Holyhastes: That is sad my friend. If you're willing to believe it, the story updated every two weeks a few years back. Unfortunately, time and more stories eats up my time. For this, I apologize.

HikariNiwa: I'm sorry I can't give you any NaruHaku. At this point in the story, they are very good friends so you can try taking some consolation in this fact.

Aznphoenix95: I'm glad you liked the story so much. I put up a flow chart on my deviantart account, username: leonardo1123581321, explaining the heirarchy of the Kuroihi Syndicate in the story. Feel free to peruse that if you get confused.

cloudorsquall: Thanks. I'm glad you feel that way.

Yikari: Thank you for your continued readership. Unfortunately, I needed to lay down a lot more ground work in this chapter so that I could everything fall into place for the final chapter.

Shadow-Sensei: Don't worry about it Sensei! I'm glad to hear your computer troubles have resolved themselves. Though I'm loathe to admit it, Oyabun is approaching the end of the original Naruto manga. I might do one for Naruto: Shippudden, but I haven't committed to anything yet because of time limitations.

Obliviandragon: If you do choose to write a story based on the mafia, I suggest you do some serious research. I accumulated several months worth of knowledge on the Yakuza before I started planning this story.

Lazyman12: Wait no longer, for the next chapter is here.

And now, I present the next installment of Oyabun:

Oyabun

(An Older Brother)

Chapter 46: The Sound Four Arrive

Three weeks went by after the meeting. As Chairman Kuroihi promised, the Enkou were dealt with appropriately. Chairman Kuroihi used his contacts in the government to outlaw some of the Enkou's services, coordinate strategic raids on the Enkou's safe houses, and made their investments go south. With their income crippled, the Enkou were unable to finance their retaliation. The one attempt at revenge they made was the final nail in their coffin. They heard a few members of the Kuroihi were secretly escorting a valuable associate who was a driving force behind the Kuroihi's political influence and they set out to kill him under the cover of night. Unfortunately, the Enkou assassins were caught by guards before they could complete their crime and news spread of their failed assassination. Of course, it was who the associate was that made it worse. The Enkou had attempted to assassinate a high priest of the Land of Fire.

The speed and coordination of these events were amazing to Naruto. The amount of planning and preparation alone would've taken months. He wondered if the chairman had everything planned before the meeting. If so, Chairman Kuroihi truly was a force to be reckoned with.

Chairman Enkou disappeared after the botched assassination. Some said he went into hiding because he couldn't face the shame of mistakenly attacking the priest while others said the Kuroihi already got to him. In either case, one thing was true: the former Chairman Enkou and the Enkou Syndicate were finished. Neither was an immediate concern for Naruto though. What was his concern was the command of Chairman Kuroihi afterwards. It was a simple message but made it clear that threats to the peace of the Principle Families wouldn't be tolerated. Orochimaru was marked for death and the Hidden Sound Village was blacklisted. Anyone who continued to associate with them was also black listed as an enemy to the Principle Families. With their many contacts in the various governments and throughout the many nations, Orochimaru and Otogakure were international criminals.

It was just a matter of finding them, though. The Hidden Sound Village wasn't so much a village as it was a network of hideouts and tunnels scattered throughout the world. Orochimaru was the man everyone wanted to find but nobody knew where he was. Looking for him was keeping Naruto quite busy.

Today would be a good day though, since today was the day Team 7 and his clansmen returned from their assignment from the Land of Snow. Haku wrote him a letter explaining that everything went as planned and that the local resistance replaced their oppressive tyrant Dotou with the young Princess Kazahana Koyuki, otherwise known as famed actress Fujikaze Yukie. According to Haku's letter, it was quite a story and he would tell him all about it when he returned. Unfortunately, he would be staying in the country a little bit longer to ensure the peaceful transition to power for the princess. This meant he needed everyone in his crew out there right away, which would limit the Kitsune's man power.

Naruto wasn't too happy about Haku staying, but knew it was the best choice. There would be no favors from a queen whose country collapsed while it was still getting back up on his feet and arrangements we made to cover the travel expenses of Haku's crew. However, the idea of seeing Hinata again did excite him. Naruto had no clue how her month long absence went by so fast, but he was glad it was over. The day she was supposed to return felt like the longest day in his life. Naruto busied himself with some work while he was waiting - but it only made time appear slower. One message he went over was a bill from the Hokage for a debt she owed to a small Ninkyo Dantai from the Land of Tea - the Wagarashi Clan. The amount barely scratched a thousand ryou, an amount Tsunade could easily pay out of pocket, and Naruto wondered why Tsunade even bothered sending it his way until he read the note attached:

Naruto

I wouldn't normally bother with this but Boss Wagarashi is an old friend of mine and he says he would really like an opportunity to meet you, if you're free. He would've asked himself but he didn't want to appear presumptuous and sent me to ask since he knows we're on good terms. Pay him a visit some time as a favor to me.

Tsunade

PS - Still waiting for my new door.

Naruto mentally slapped himself for forgetting to buy Tsunade a new door and made a mental note to get on that. He flipped over to the next slip of paper which was a report summing up the Clan's checkbook. They were making money, which was about all Naruto could understand of the nonsense numbers. Shinji left little notes on the edges marking something as either good or bad. He was sure it was a bit more complex than that, but he had no way of knowing. One note in particular said that the production company transferred the money to their bank accounts for privacy reasons.

A knock on his door pulled him away from work and one of the clansmen who worked a patrol by the gate walked in, "Oyabun, Team 7's returned and gone ahead to the Hokage's office to give their mission report."

"Thanks," Naruto nodded. Anticipation got the better of him and he hurried to the Hokage's Tower to see her again. He arrived in time to see their team already leaving the tower and going their separate ways. Hinata saw him coming her way and happily went to meet him, "Naruto."

"Welcome back, Hinata," Naruto greeted, wrapping his arms around her and saying, "I missed you. How was the trip back?"

"Long and tiring," Hinata mumbled, burying her face into his chest, " Could we get something to eat?"

"Did you have something in mind?" he asked her. She pulled away and thought quietly for a moment, "Cinnamon rolls...but I need to bring my stuff home."

"Okay, let me walk you home," Naruto said, noting that she was a bit more open than he remembered. It wasn't a complaint, since it meant Hinata was comfortable around him. He relieved her of her bag and took Hinata's hand in his own. They hadn't even rounded a corner when he felt Hinata hug his arm close to her. In a low voice, she whispered, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," he said back to her, trying to hold back how giddy he felt at the moment. He missed this feeling during her absence - the feeling that came with being close to her. She rested her head on his shoulder and that only added to his ecstasy. It was bliss. Yet, Naruto couldn't deny the weird feeling of being watched.

...

"Hey! Sakura!" Sasuke called after his other teammate. He didn't really care for her because she constantly fawned over him. As expected, her face lit up and turned bright red when he called her. An innocent smile drew itself on her face and she expectedly asked, "What is it Sasuke?"

He bit his lip to hide his disdain with her antics. How could anyone like her be a kunoichi when she didn't seem to take it seriously at all? Why did she bother being a kunoichi at all? He didn't have time to think about that and spoke seriously, "Naruto and Hinata...Is there something going on between them? They looked...close."

"Oh," Sakura's face sank at Sasuke's question, "They're dating."

Sasuke was taken aback by the answer. There was a sinking feeling in his chest, the same kind of feeling he felt when he watched Naruto overtake Gaara where he had been powerless to do anything. He did notice his teammate appeared happier recently and that Naruto saw Hinata off before they left for the mission in the Land of Snow, but he didn't make the connection to this. With a glare that made Sakura uneasy, he asked, "How long have they been...dating?"

"About a month I think," Sakura answered, "I only found out the night before we left for our mission. Ino and I were keeping an eye on her at their date because we were worried Naruto might try something on her. I still worry he might, but the way Naruto acted - the way he acts around her...it looks like he actually does care about her."

Sasuke wasn't paying attention anymore. He said nothing as he walked off on his own with his hands in his pockets and his gaze cast downward. He didn't want to believe what Sakura told him. He didn't think Hinata, an heiress to one of the noble clans of Konoha, would be the kind of person to fall for Naruto, an academy dropout turned criminal gang leader.

Sasuke wondered why it bothered him so much. He considered her a fellow shinobi, a comrade he could count on in battle. He recalled the first time he acknowledged her strength, when he first awoke after his battle with Orochimaru during the Chuunin Exam. He recalled seeing Hinata fight off three Oto genin by herself with little effort. Up to that point, he never really though much of him-she was an heiress to a clan and nothing more. After seeing that though, he knew he had to become stronger. He figured he could learn a thing or two if he spent more time with her, either from observing with his sharingan or learning the Hyuuga Clan combat techniques. He even recalled sparring with her at times - twice he overdid it and almost killed her if not for Naruto's interference. Once at the training grounds by accident, when some strange technique he was practicing stopped two shrikes from impaling Hinata, and again at the Hyuuga Compound when he used the chidori on her and missed. Had Naruto not arrived, he probably would have continued sparring with Hinata and used the chidori again.

He regretted both instances. He didn't want any harm to come to her; he simply lost himself in the heat of the moment. He became mortified when it occurred to him that Hinata possibly hated him. He had already lost so much, so he didn't want to think about being hated by the one person he felt was his equal. To lose that sense of camaraderie with her...it would be too much.

...

After a quick stop at the Hyuuga Compound to drop off her things, Naruto and Hinata headed out for a snack. Naruto was allowed inside, but only as far as the lounge. Hinata's father, and a few of the elders, didn't want Hinata to be alone in her room with him. Naruto understood their feelings, but was annoyed with their distrust for him. Did they really think he was that kind of a guy?

The pastry shop was located in a scenic part of the village on the edge of the market and residential districts, alongside a small park. Benches and tables were set up in front of the shop for the patrons to enjoy their meals. Today, the pastry shop was mostly empty except for a small group of little kids gathered around a pale faced boy busy drawing on a scroll. As he finished, a parade of tiny ink animals leapt off the paper and started dancing around the children. The kids cheered at the tiny animals, asking to know how the boy did such amazing feats. As they came closer, Naruto realized the boy was Sai, the odd kid he met at the party the other day.

Naruto pretended to not see him and led Hinata inside the store. Naruto tried to act casually as they ordered some tea and rolls while nervously looking over his shoulder at Sai as he continued to entertain the kids. Once they had their sweets, they went outside to have a seat when Sai looked up from his drawings and called out to them, "Boss Kitsune."

Upon hearing this, the kids looked in Naruto's direction and instantly ran behind Sai fearfully. Naruto cursed his luck but did his best to hide this fact, "Hi, Sai."

One glance at the kids told Naruto everything he needed to know, and he didn't step any closer. Sai clearly didn't pick up on their fear since he just walked up to Naruto and Hinata with the kids still cowering right behind him, "It's a pleasure to see you again. Are you on a date with your girlfriend? She's kind of flat and has short hair. Are you sure she's a girl?"

"Good to see you too, Sai," Naruto gritted his teeth, trying to hold himself back. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Hinata sending her gaze downward and pushing her fingers together. Naruto set down his snack and took Hinata's hand in his. He gave her a reassuring squeeze and said, "Meet my girlfriend, Hyuuga Hinata. Hinata, this is Sai - an associate to the Kitsune."

"H-hi," Hinata murmured. Sai turned his head to the side and frowned, "She doesn't look too happy to see me. Or maybe she doesn't want to be here. Then again, who would want to date a guy who looks like a girl? Someone with a serious problem, if you ask me."

"I really don't like your attitude, Sai," Naruto stated clearly, maintaining his composure as best as he could. The silly grin on Sai's face angered him and it didn't look like Sai wasn't even paying attention. Was Sai really this dense? Naruto decided to be more clear and angrily stated, "You really don't seem to get it so I'll be frank. I don't mind when you insult me, because I really don't care what a jerk like you thinks. But don't ever insult Hinata in front of me ever again. I love her for who she is and I don't appreciate other people insulting her like that."

"Did I offend?" Sai asked dumbfounded.

"You really have no clue, do you?" Naruto said angrily. He took his snack and led Hinata to a table on the other side of the shop. He apologized to her right away, trying to cheer her up after what Sai said, "I'm sorry about Sai. He's kind of blunt and annoying like that. Don't let anything he says get to you."

"It's...alright," Hinata's smile was small as she spoke, "Thank you...Naruto."

"Hmm? What for?" he asked her. Hinata was already nibbling away at her cinnamon roll leaving Hugo wonder what she meant by that. All the same, Naruto decided to join her in snacking on their food. He was happy to be spending time with her.

...

Sasuke's path inadvertently brought him to the pastry shop. His heart raced soon as he saw Naruto and Hinata enjoying their snack. In his panic, he leapt into a nearby tree and laid low - hoping they didn't see him. He could've left anytime but he found himself watching them with fascination. They were just talking to each other casually in between eating their food, occasionally just smiling at each other brightly. Sasuke felt a pang in his chest and a sense of defeat. Was this feeling jealousy? He didn't like it. He wanted it to go away. Without thinking, Sasuke took off at full speed towards the nearest training grounds.

He wanted to bury these feelings so that he could forget about them and he would do it the only way he knew how: training. Lots of it. It was the only thing left in the world that gave him solace since the massacre of his entire clan and betrayal of his older brother.

He didn't do anything particular for training beyond running laps and occasionally stopping to practice his clan's trademark jutsu. Was it really worth it, though? He had been doing this for years and it kept him above his classmates in the academy. Ever since, he couldn't help but notice that others around him were making great strides. Hinata defeated three Sound ninja in the Forest of Death, her cousin in the semifinals, Kiba in the finals, and the shinobi in the Land of Snow. Even Naruto was able to fight off the sand ninja in the alley, Gaara in the forest, and even himself at the Hyuuga compound. And he was the academy dropout!

Sasuke hated this! What the hell happened? Where were things going wrong?

Before he could ponder an answer, a wave of kunai whipped through the air and wrapped ropes around him. It tied him down to a nearby tree. He looked up from his bonds and watched four ninja just a little older than him appear before him. They were all dressed in the headbands of Otogakure and similar clothing to Orochimaru's. To say they were odd was another matter entirely. One fellow with a similar hairstyle to Shikamaru had an extra set of arms behind his back while the first were folded across his chest. Another reminded him of an exceptionally tall Chouji with a slightly bald head. The next was a silver haired boy with what looked to be an exceptionally bushy pony tail and black lipstick. The female was the most normal looking of the group, with flowing red hair and her head hidden mostly beneath a knit cap.

She looked down at Sasuke with disgust, grabbing his hair with hands and pulling his face up to hers. Sasuke normally wouldn't admit it, but she had a pretty face. It was a shame her mouth wasn't as nice, "This weak little fuck is the last Uchiha? What the hell does Lord Orochimaru want his ass for?"

"Tayuya, girls really shouldn't talk like that," the large one pointed out, "It's really unbecoming."

"Shut your fat ass Jirobo! Sakon, what the fuck do we with him?" Tayuya snapped back. The silver haired boy pushed Tayuya aside and kneeled down beside Sasuke. Now that Sasuke got a good look at this ponytail, he realized that it wasn't an extension of his hair at all. Rather, it was another head all together that looked to be asleep. The boy looked at Sasuke closely before saying, "I'm sorry about the ropes. We didn't want you to run before you heard us out so we decided this would be best."

"Whatever you have to say, I don't want to hear it. I'm in a really bad mood so you'd better leave!" Sasuke growled.

"We've been watching you for a while Sasuke," Sakon went on, as if Sasuke hadn't said a thing, "Ever since the invasion. We know quite a bit about you. Like how you scorn your brother and want him dead. And your jealousy of the progress others around you are making while you stagnate."

"You're really starting to tick me off. Beat it or I'll beat you," Sasuke warned.

"You're welcome to try, if you like," Sakon drew a thin smile on his face. The smile quickly disappeared once Sasuke used an escape technique to undo the ropes. His first action was to simultaneously kick Sakon and Tayuya in the face. The man with the many arms grabbed him and threw him to the ground. He used his two arms to hold him down and the other two to beat him. Sasuke felt like his guts were turning to mush inside him as each hit connected. Sasuke had to escape. He had to live! He focused his chakra and found a nearby log he could use as a substitution.

He saw the confusion that followed once places were swapped and took a moment to reassess his situation. He was outnumbered and hopelessly outmatched. His best chance would be to rely on hit and run tactics. First, he would have to split them up but how was he supposed to do that?

His thought process didn't get beyond that point. Almost immediately, Sasuke watched them throw their kunai at his position. He activated his sharingan right away and aimed his shuriken to intercept the kunai in the air. Each shuriken struck the kunai as planned, but it was a momentary relief. Right away, the four Sound ninja rushed him and struck with a variety of attacks. Sasuke's sharingan allowed him to react to the attacks with just enough time to stay ahead. It did little to compensate for the sheer number of attacks, and his only advantage was to make himself harder to hit.

He leapt into the nearest tree, produced three clones and they each scattered towards the village. He and his clones would regularly dart into each other's paths to better confuse the four. The only down side was they were not physical bodies and had no chakra, so it would be easy to see through them. It was still an edge he desperately needed. For a while, Sasuke thought he might be able to get back into the village safely until the one called Sakon appeared in front of him. Then the strangest thing happened. A foot appeared out of his stomach and kicked Sasuke in the face, "Tarenkyaku!"

The kick sent Sasuke crashing down to the ground, and the other three quickly pinned him down. The girl pulled his head up by his hair and hissed, "Sit your ass down and listen to what we have to say, punk!"

"Listen," Sakon kneeled down beside him and poked Sasuke on the head, "The fact is we told you could beat us if you wanted, but you clearly weren't strong enough to do it. We could have killed you at any time during that fight, but we didn't. Believe me, we would have killed you and hidden your corpse by now. We didn't though."

Sakon pulled Sasuke's collar aside and pointed at the curse mark on his neck, "Thing is, Lord Orochimaru is very interested in you. That mark on your collar is evidence of that. You've felt it yourself, haven't you? The power that courses through your body when you activate the curse mark. You've only scratched the surface of what the curse mark can do for you. Only Lord Orochimaru can teach you how to unleash its full potential."

"Is there a point to this?" Sasuke grunted at Sakon. Sakon nodded, "Lord Orochimaru wants you to know that he's willing to teach you and we can take you to him. We'll give you a week to decide. In one week's time, you can find us waiting outside the village's main gate. We look forward to your response, Sasuke."

"Just tell me one thing, who are you?" Sasuke demanded as they let him go. Sakon bowed, "Sakon of the West Gate."

"Tayuya of the North Gate."

"Jirobo of the South Gate."

"Kidomaru of the East Gate."

"We are the Sound Four, Orochimaru's elite bodyguards," Sakon said smugly, before all four of them disappeared.

...

"And that's when Kakashi-sensei defeated Doto."

"Wow, it sound like I missed a real adventure," Naruto said enviously, "It sounds almost like a movie. A real princess in distress, an evil uncle, and a battle to reclaim a kingdom. I wish I was there."

"Oh, um, well...I did get a souvenir for you," Hinata murmured. She reached into her pocket and took out a pink envelope with a heart sticker holding it closed. Hinata handed him the envelope and he quietly ripped it open. It held a single picture of Team 7 and the main cast of 'The Unlucky Princess', as well as several of the cast members autographs. In the background, Naruto caught a glimpse of Haku leaning casually against a trailer with his mask positioned just enough to obscure his face. It looked like Haku realized he was in frame at the last second and quickly threw his mask on to hide the fact. Naruto chuckled a little while Hinata went on to say, "You said you wanted an autograph, so I asked Princess Koyuki for one."

"Thanks Hinata," Naruto said to her, putting the picture in his coat pocket for later. He already had one from Koyuki as payment for helping the production company, but he liked this one much more - mostly because he now had a picture of Hinata with him all the time. His joy was interrupted only by one of his clansmen arriving urgently, "Oyabun. I apologize for interrupting, but four Sound nin were found inside the village."

"Four? How did they get inside the village?" Naruto was surprised, but tried not to sound so.

"I don't know. The village is already on high alert and a search is already under way," the clansmen explained, "Oyabun, please go back to the office until we know it's safe."

"I'm going to take Hinata home first," Naruto said.

"Okay, but please let me go with you," he answered, "They might try to take you out since-"

Naruto looked seriously at the clansman and silenced him. He made it clear in the past that he didn't want any talk about business when he was with Hinata. Naruto nodded and explained, "Okay, I'll be counting on you."

Naruto apologized to Hinata and took her back to her home at the Hyuuga compound. Afterwards, he and his clansman returned to his office at the market district. As the clansmen said, the village was on high alert. They passed several patrolling ninja searching for the infiltrating sound nin. Several more of the clansmen were standing guard around the office, with their weapons at the ready. He found Shinji and Han waiting for him inside, as well as Miji who shot Naruto a dirty look as soon as he saw him.

"Why does it look like a fortress around here?" Naruto asked.

"Four Sound ninja secretly infiltrated the most power shinobi village in the world," Han explained, "That doesn't look good and it's made a lot of people nervous. What we really need to focus on, is why they're here and what they're after."

"They must be after Lady Tsunade," Shinji proposed, "The entire world is against them now. Assassinating the Hokage sends quite the message. The village is still recovering from the attack and the death of the Third, so killing the Fifth would really shake the village's morale."

"Orochimaru's smarter than that," Naruto said, taking his seat behind his desk, "He wouldn't repeat the same strategy twice in a row unless he was guaranteed to get away with it. It has to be something else."

"It could be money they're after. I mean, we're hurting them on the business front and they have nothing coming in. Orochimaru isn't really known for his moral standards, so stealing isn't really beneath him," Shinji suggested.

"We have eyes on all the stores and banks in the village, and you've got everyone's pocketbooks memorized. Besides, the village is recovering and there's barely any money as it is. Orochimaru won't rob us," Han countered, "If he only sent four ninja, they have to be very skilled and the mission has to be more important than robbery."

"Yes, but what?" Naruto asked, frustrated. His first day seeing Hinata in a long time and this had to happen, "What are they after?"

"It could be you," Miji said, "Everyone knows you've got that 'thing' inside of you."

"If it was me, they would have gotten me while I was with Hinata," Naruto reasoned, "It has to be something else."

"Oh, she's back in town? What were you two doing, Oyabun?" Shinji asked while looking at Naruto with the kind of face a parent gives a child who just did something adorable. He also noted that Han and Miji were just as interested, but Miji was trying to act more indifferent about it. He didn't like this attention and immediately returned the subject to the infiltration, "Can we focus? We've been infiltrated here."

"Whatever it is, the best we can do is stay on alert until we find them," Han offered, "We'll get them."

"I hope you're right," Naruto frowned.

...

Hinata busied herself with putting her things away. Being able to spend some time with Naruto made her really happy, especially when she saw the smile when she gave him the autograph. Knowing that she was the reason he smiled made her happier than she could have imagined. Once everything was put away, she heard a knock on her door and went to answer it. She found her cousin Neji looking at her disdainfully. With a bitter tone, he said, "Lady Hinata, Uchiha Sasuke is here to see you."

"Oh, thanks," Hinata bowed to her cousin. He returned the bow, but because of propriety instead of respect. Hinata wondered to herself what Sasuke would want this late in the day, especially since they just returned. She found him waiting in front of the manor. He appeared injured, as if he got into a fight but he didn't look like he wanted to talk about it. She thought about ignoring it, but knew Sasuke would be too stubborn to go to the hospital if she didn't press it with him.

"Sasuke, what happened? Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Sasuke said. His tone was definite, so Hinata decided against bringing it up again, "What did you want to see me about?"

Sasuke remained silent and appeared contemplative. He definitely had something on his mind but seemed unsure of how to put it into words. His silence was unnerving, more so because he looked like a mess. Hinata wanted to help him but wasn't sure how to go about it. With a quiet voice, she asked, "Is everything alright?"

"I just wanted to see you," Sasuke finally said, although the way he said it sounded kind of awkward. Hinata didn't know how to take it. Why would he want to see her? In this state, why didn't he go to the hospital, or get Kakashi-sensei?

"About what?" Hinata asked, growing more timid as Sasuke appeared to be more agitated.

"Because...I wanted to know...what you think about me," Sasuke said, although the way he said it sounded forced.

"Well...I think you're a good person," Hinata started quietly, "Strong and dependable."

"I meant do you...like me," Sasuke said hesitantly. Hinata took a moment to consider what that meant. This couldn't be a confession because Hinata's relationship with Naruto was already well known. Besides that, Sasuke never really seemed all that interested in anything other than being the best there was.

"Of course, you're my teammate after all."

"Is that all you see me as?" Sasuke asked.

"You're my friend, Sasuke. But you're more than that. You're my comrade, a ninja of the Hidden Leaf," Hinata said, her voice slowly becoming confident, "Why did you ask? Is something bothering you?"

Sasuke's eyes were sad as he looked at her longingly, "Nothing. I just wanted to talk. I've got to go now though."

"Would you like to stay for some tea?" Hinata offered.

"No thanks," Sasuke said. He left quickly, appearing more distraught than when he arrived.

...

A week went by without incident and Sasuke tried to act indifferent after everything that happened. Ninjas were good at deception so it wasn't too hard for him to hide that. All the same, his mind was made up. Months had passed since he became a ninja, and others were already pulling so far ahead of him. The difference in skill was more than unacceptable. He should have been stronger than that.

And his fighting ability was appalling. It still wasn't enough to beat his brother, so what was all his hard work and training for? Sasuke could only come to one conclusion. The village had nothing left to offer him in training. He would have to go elsewhere, and training with Orochimaru would be just what he needed. On the night of the planned meeting, he packed some clothes and made his way to the village gate only to find Sakura as soon as he locked the door to his house.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked her bitterly.

"I thought you might be leaving," Sakura said quietly, "You've been acting weird since we got back."

"Go home, Sakura. This doesn't concern you," Sasuke said. Sakura shook her head, "No. It does concern me."

"What gives you that idea?" Sasuke scoffed. He was all too aware of Sakura's unwanted affections, if only because he had been dealing with fawning girls since before he could remember

"Because...I..."

"What?"

"Because I like you," Sakura finally admitted, "And I don't want you to go."

"If anyone could convince me to stay in the village, Sakura," Sasuke began, "It isn't you. Now go away."

"Please Sasuke," Sakura pleaded, almost on the verge of tears, "I know I'm not strong as you or Hinata, and I probably annoy you just by being around. But you're the reason I became a ninja. I dreamed that maybe, if I worked hard and became as strong as you, that you'd acknowledge me. You mean the world to me Sasuke. So please stay."

"Are you done?" Sasuke asked, "I'm leaving because I need to become stronger, so that I can defeat my brother and avenge my clan. That won't happen if I stay here in this village."

"Then take me with you," Sakura said, "I'll go to the Sound Village with you and help you become strong enough to beat your brother."

"Sakura, you're annoying," Sasuke hissed - at his limit with Sakura. With speed faster than she could see, Sasuke got behind Sakura and hit her in the back of the head. She slid to the ground, unconscious but still alive. There would be time to kill later, when he finally confronted his brother.

Sasuke snuck out past the main gate and met the Sound Four a little ways up the road, waiting for him patiently. Sakon spoke directly to him, "Have you made your decision?"

"I have," Sasuke said, "I'll go with you to the Sound Village."

"Before we do that, Orochimaru said to make you the new head of the Sound Four if you decided to come back with us," Sakon bowed, "Everyone show respect to the leader of the Sound Five."

The others bowed their heads with Sakon. Sasuke was indifferent to this turn of events but would gladly become the leader. With a smirk, Sasuke gave his first order to the team, "Lead the way back to the Sound."

...

Author's Note: That's all for this evening, fair readers! My next update will be in eight weeks on Friday, April 20th. If you loved it, let me know in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on the Facebook or the Playstation Network (PSN ID leo112358). However, please let me know that you read these stories because I tend to ignore invites from random people I don't know. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	48. In Pursuit

**Disclaimer**: Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as an animated series by Viz Media. The Art of War is a widely published text originally written Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicate, the Kaki Alliance, the Shirotsuki Clan, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi Ryouke, Kuroihi Yamato, Kasen Eiji, Yagami Shinji, Utawa Miji, Doragon Gan, and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Note**: Dear readers. Oyabun is now over five years old, having celebrated its birthday on March 8th! It has been a lot of fun writing this story, getting all your feedback, and growing as both a writer and a story teller. I cannot thank you dear readers enough for all your support these years as well as enjoying Oyabun. Due to time crunches, I just barely managed to find enough time to write this story on top of all the other things I had to do. Because of that, I apologize for any grammatical errors or continuity errors that occur. It's a flaw with how long Oyabun has become so I apologize if my nitpicky attitude missed a few errors. On that note, I want to give a big thanks to my editor Kells who has been editing this story for me for quite some time and is also getting married in May. I send Kells my best wishes and hopes for married life. Also a bagel with cream cheese and coffee, but that is for unrelated reasons involving a rabid squirrel called Soapy. Or something like that. With that out of the way, it's time for the regular review response time:

**Shadow-Sensei**: Ah, I see you caught one of the errors that came through as a part of my new work process. As part of a time efficiency measure, I've started editing all of my documents online through cloud data storage so that I can edit the story at any time. Unfortunately, because of the number of different devices I use, sometimes documents will be spellchecked without my knowledge. Even my editor sometimes misses small things like this. Sasuke's plot arc is something that has been developing for a long time and I'm only bothering to get around to it now. I may do more with it, I may not. You'll just have to read to find out. All the same I'm glad you enjoyed it.

**redspud:** I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I will say someone won't be going back to the Hidden Leaf Village after the Battle in the Valley of the End. As I said, this story is inspired by Mario Puzo's The Sicilian which had a beautiful, if bittersweet, ending. I may be intentionally playing with words. I may not. One thing is certain, I will not tell how this arc will be ending.

**Fangking2**: 'Was this the face that launched a thousand ships, And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?' -Christopher Marlowe on Helen of Troy from 'The Iliad'

**Wild Bunch**: Ooh! Speculation on the next part of the story! I haven't that in a while. I won't say if it's right or not. I will say that you're not far from the mark.

**Lazyman12**: More speculation? It must be my birthday! I can't say what will happen when Naruto finally fights Sasuke. I will say that it will be the culmination of all of Naruto's previous experiences.

**DD**: Haha! Funny joke! Oh wait, you were a troll who thought they could get a rise out of me? My mistake! In that case, let me say: !

**bijuunicorn**: I apologize if you find my story not to your palate. Then again, you're criticizing a piece that I wrote five years ago when I was in high school. I'll grant that I should have kept a tighter lid on quality back then, but I won't make excuses and I won't try to win you back. I'll respect your decision to stop reading.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 47: In Pursuit**

Naruto hated paperwork. There was no way to emphasize how much he hated paperwork. He would have to talk to Tsunade about finding a way to make paperwork illegal forever, and that all paperwork must be burned to ashes with the ashes burned again to dust. It was at that moment that a crashing sound echoed outside his door just before a frantic leaf chunin appeared, "Uzumaki Naruto. Lady Tsunade wants to speak with you right away."

"Hey! You need to make an appointment to see the chairman!" Naruto's secretary shouted at the leaf ninja. Grateful for the distraction from the ever growing mountain of papers on his desk, Naruto dismissed his secretary, "It's fine. I'm tired of looking at papers anyway. What did Lady Tsunade want?"

"She just wants you to come to her office right away," the shinobi explained. Naruto asked his secretary to get two clansmen to escort him to the Hokage's office, and quickly ran upstairs to get his two swords. He wasn't expecting there to be any trouble on Tsunade's part - he just wanted them in case any of the hundred other ninja in the village would try anything. Once his clansmen arrived, they followed the shinobi back to the Hokage's office where they found an annoyed ninja leaving the office.

Naruto recognized the annoyed look on his face and the pineapple hair right away. His name was Nara Shikamaru, one of the most intelligent shinobi students from back in the academy. The scowl on his face wasn't because of Naruto, although he probably wasn't helping Shikamaru's mood. For all of his intelligence, he was downright lazy and unmotivated to do anything. The scowl on his face was probably because he was bothered out of a nap to do something that would require a bit of effort. What really surprised Naruto was the flak vest Shikarmaru was wearing - the kind given only to those who graduated from genin to chunin. Naruto supposed it should've been expected. When Shikamaru actually bothered to do something, he did it beyond perfection.

"Lady Tsunade," Naruto bowed to the Hokage once he entered their office. Inside was Tsunade with her own stack of paperwork, Shizune who still cradled Tonton in her arms, and a distraught looking Sakura. Naruto was surprised to see her here, largely because he wasn't aware the two knew each other. Her eyes were red and swollen, which indicated she had been crying for some time.

"Boss Uzumaki," Tsunade returned the greeting, "I have an emergency on my hands that I was hoping you could help me sort out. Uchiha Sasuke left the village last night. We don't know where he's going, but we do know that he's going to Orochimaru."

"What?" Naruto was surprised with this development. He hadn't forgotten Itachi's request to keep an eye on his little brother, and he had more than enough clansmen around the village regularly following up on Sasuke quietly to make sure he was safe. That and he would occasionally ask Hinata how her team was doing mostly to get information on Sasuke. How did nobody in the village notice Sasuke was planning to leave and how did he get outside the gate with nobody noticing?

"I know shinobi and yakuza haven't really gotten along in a very long time, but this matter is a bit more complex than just retrieving a runaway genin. There's a risk that Sasuke will cross the border of the Land of Fire. Once he does, he'll be outside the Leaf Village's jurisdiction and any pursuit could be seen as an act of war by the other countries. The village can't afford a war right now because Orochimaru's attack has weakened us more than we've let on," Tsunade explained, "Because of that, we're turning to you. We'd like you to close your 'toll roads', and keep an eye out along the border of the Land of Rice."

"So the Hidden Sound Village is in the Land of Rice?" Naruto asked curiously. Tsunade shook his head, "Not exactly. The Sound Village isn't located specifically in the Land of Rice - it's just one of the countries where Orochimaru's 'village' operates. Don't think about causing an international incident, Chairman. Trust me, the Leaf village wants Orochimaru dead just as much as the Kuroihi."

"I wasn't thinking about it, Lady Hokage," Naruto explained to her, making it very clear that there were other things on his mind without telling what they were, "Our toll roads are a great source of income. If we close them for even a day, we'd lose about a million ryou. That's not pocket change that gets thrown around lightly. I mean real damage to our business."

"The village will compensate you for the financial loss," Tsunade said, "Understand that closing the roads will slow them down long enough for our recovery teams to close the gap. Once Sasuke has been reacquired, you can open the toll roads again."

"What will happen to Sasuke?" Naruto was sure to ask. Sasuke couldn't be harmed as part of his deal with Itachi. The 'relationship' with the Uchiha Clan was another of the reasons that the Kitsune were seen as so dangerous, so any harm to Sasuke would harm the credibility of the Uchiha.

"Normally, a shinobi who betrays the village is placed in the bingo book and marked as a criminal by the five great shinobi nations. Sasuke is a special case, though. Because of the standards set by the Third, someone like Sasuke will be shown a level of amnesty and be given a chance to redeem himself," Tsunade assured him. Naruto suspected the 'standards set by the Third' was Tsunade's way of masking his arrangement with Itachi. There was no point in letting Tsunade know that he already knew about it. This was a minimal concern, though. The real issue was Danzou, who always undermined the Third and his philosophies - not to mention pushing for the entire annihilation of the Uchiha Clan. He might use this opportunity to slip his own agents into the recovery team for a chance to kill Sasuke. Sasuke's survival was paramount for Naruto.

"I'd like fifty percent of the compensation before we shut down the roads, and then I'll go ahead and make the arrangements to close the tolls. That sounds fair, right?" Naruto lied. Tsunade was clearly annoyed but conceded in his favor, "Fine. I'll have a shinobi deliver the money to your office in an hour. You better be ready to close the roads as soon as they do."

"Once I receive the payment," Naruto said. He and his clansmen left the Hokage's office and almost made it out the door when Sakura appeared right behind them. With a weak voice, she called out to them, "Naruto!"

"What's up? Naruto asked her casually to hide his impatience. He had things to take care of and he didn't have time to talk. There was an uncertainty on her face, as if she was scared about what she was about to do. Her voice quivered as she stammered, "I know we've never gotten along... and I gave you a hard time about Hinata. But I know that you can get things done when no one else can because... you're-"

"A gangster?" Naruto finished for her, his tone dirty and full of distaste in the hopes of getting the message across to her. Sakura was shaken by the accusatory glance he gave her, but she managed to continue, "Please, bring Sasuke back! I tried to stop him, but I couldn't do anything. But you... you're Boss Kistune! The jinchuuriki of the Kyubi! If anyone can bring him back, it's you! So please! Do this one thing for me!"

"Why?" Naruto asked her, "You don't respect me, let alone like me. You thought I was going to do something weird to Hinata on our date. Heck, you get mad at me just for being nearby. So what makes you think I would want to do you a favor?"

"I know we've never gotten along," Sakura said quietly. Naruto snorted at that comment; it was more accurate to say that she didn't bother trying to get along with him.

"I'm sorry, that I... wasn't that nice to you," Sakura added, "But I'll do whatever you want. I'll even make up for everything I've done. Just please, bring Sasuke back."

Naruto shook his head. What kind of plea was this? She had plenty of chances to decide to be nice to him and she waited until now to start? No. Naruto wanted it to be clear to her what he was going to do. He cleared his throat and said, "Listen Sakura. I'm going to go after Sasuke myself, and I will bring him back to the village. But let me make something clear. I'm not doing it because you asked and I don't want anything from you for it. I'm doing it for my own reasons."

"You're going to kill him?" Sakura gasped fearfully.

"You're doing it again," Naruto scoffed, "Did I say I would kill him? No, I said I would bring him back."

Naruto heard her squeak as he marched away with his escorts. As soon as they returned to the main office, he asked them to get Shinji and Gan, and to tell their informant at the gate to let them know when Konoha's recovery team left. He wanted Shinji to count the money right away and prepare to dispatch messages out to close the toll roads. Gan would help him put together his own recovery team to make sure Sasuke returned to the village safely. Unfortunately, Gan was only able to spare Scorpio because of his recent return from the assignment in the Land of Snow. Everyone else was reassigned to different missions to spur the Kitsune's income. As Tsunade promised, a chunin arrived with a briefcase. Shinji kept the ninja around while he counted the money carefully to make sure the sum was correct and the bills were legitimate.

Once everything was set, the ninja was released and the message went out to close the toll roads. Naruto and Scorpio were just about prepared to leave the village with them but were stopped outside the office by none other than Sai.

"Boss Kitsune," Sai bowed, acting a little more formally than he usually did. Naruto didn't have the time to deal with Sai and pushed past him, "I'm busy Sai. Bug me some other time."

"Boss Kitsune, I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything important," Sai rushed to catch up with Naruto, "Shinji told me that I wasn't making the best impression with you, so I'd like to ask you to give me a chance to prove myself."

"This really isn't the right time, Sai," Naruto said more sternly, "Can this wait until tomorrow?"

"I want to prove that I can be useful to the Kitsune Clan!" Sai almost shouted, "They've been so good to me until this point - buying me clothes, giving me a warm meal and a place to call home, and treating me like I'm human. I'm indebted to the Kitsune and I wanted to show that I'm not ungrateful."

"Sai, I'm in the middle of something. We can talk about this tomorrow."

"At the very least, let me accompany you as a bodyguard! I wish to do that much!" Sai demanded, jumping in front of Naruto and blocking his path. Naruto mind stopped at that last part though. Did Sai know Naruto was planning to go after Sasuke? If so, how did he find this out? Sai wasn't a ninja, so he wouldn't know that Sasuke left. The shinobi would've kept that information quiet to anyone not involved with the recovery teams. No, maybe Naruto was over thinking things. There was simply no way Sai could know. Although in that spirit, now would be a good time to get rid of Sai. Naruto was sure he would have difficulty keeping up with Naruto and Scorpio - hopefully Sai would take the hint from that. If he didn't, then maybe one of the many fights that were bound to happen would get Sai killed. It occurred to Naruto that he was a terrible person for hoping any of these things would happen - but then again, he really wanted to get rid of Sai. Hashi-sensei told him that a good leader treated all of his clansmen and friends like family, but Sai was neither a clansmen nor a friend. At least, that's what he told himself to justify it.

"Fine, but I expect you to keep up with us," Naruto told Sai, whose face lit up in one of the most fake smiles he had ever seen. They continued owned from there, stopping only at the checkpoint in front of the village gate to speak with one of the guards.

"Where do you think you're going, yakuza?" the ninja asked, running a finger along his collar. Naruto recognized the secret gesture right away. This ninja was the Kitsune informant. With a joyful tone, he answered, "For a stroll outside the village. Is there a path you would recommend?"

"There's a fork about five minutes down the road. Take a left and go north after thirty minutes. And I'd watch out for patrols if I were you," the ninja said bitterly. He ran a finger along his collar and Naruto returned the gesture. The last part about patrols must have meant the recovery team had already left the village. This meant he would have to hurry if he wanted to get ahead of them. Whether or not he could was a different matter entirely, since these ninja where're clearly more physically fit that he was. Naruto, Sai, and Scorpio headed out into the forest as fast as they could. They leapt into the trees and stayed just far enough from the main road to go unnoticed while still continuing their pursuit. They followed the ninja's directions to the letter with Naruto occasionally asking if Scorpio could sense anyone up ahead. Scorpio could only shake his head for the first hour of this before he said, "Wait. There's a fight up ahead. Two large concentrations of chakra. We should stay cautious!"

"Got it," Naruto said, looking back to check on Sai. To Naruto's amazement, Sai was keeping pace with them. If anything, he looked almost bored with their pace. Naruto was tempted to pick up their speed if it meant ditching Sai but decided it would be better if he accidentally got hurt in the battle ahead. Naruto wondered how a kid on the street with no apparent ninja training was able to keep up with them.

"Hanging in there Sai?" Naruto asked. Sai nodded, "I'm fine. Where are we going? I thought this was just a stroll!"

"We're taking the scenic route!" Naruto lied. He couldn't trust Sai with the truth. Odds were Sai already knew; he was just playing innocent to hide the fact. Why else would Sai have been so adamant about coming along with the rest of them?

They continued on for another five minutes in the direction of the conflict, until Naruto himself could feel the intensity of chakra through his body. They eventually came across a cleared out section of forest where a boy and a teen of great weight fighting with enough intensity to level the forest around them. Naruto couldn't tell who the older one was but knew instantly that the younger of the two was Akimichi Chouji, one of his classmates from the academy. Chouji was a member of Konoha's noble Akimichi Clan - a shinobi family famous for their great girth. Chouji himself was no exception back in the academy, often eating bags of chips during class and helping himself to his friends' snacks when they weren't paying attention. He was also incredibly docile, preferring to avoid conflict at every turn. This Chouji was exceptionally thin though, and looked ready to kill.

"Let's go around them," Naruto said, "I don't want this kind of delay."

"We might be able to if we go that way," Scorpio pointed to the far side of the clearing, "It looks like their fight is moving away from that area."

"What about the Konoha nin?" Scorpio asked curiously.

"He's an Akimichi; he can take care of himself. Besides, we're on a time table," Naruto explained. Scorpio took the lead and led the way through the trees, moving silently to avoid detection until finally they were on the other side. Naruto looked over his shoulder in the direction of the fight to make sure they were in the clear. He was surprised to see Chouji on his knees before the Sound Nin.

"Like I said, only the most worthless ninja gets left behind first!" he said a while punching Choji in the stomach. Choji was sent backwards in the air until finally rolling to a stop. Choji pushed himself off the ground but was kicked back down again, "It's time to finish this."

Naruto clicked his tongue distastefully. The Sound Ninja had bloodlust in his eyes and ferocity in his face. It was the look of a man who killed before and was ready to kill again. Naruto thought to himself for a moment if he would be okay with letting someone he knew die. Granted he didn't know Choji well and Naruto had no reason to stick his neck out for him. Naruto could think of dozens of times in the village when he wished someone would help him but no one bothered. At least not until the day Hashi-sensei saved him in the alley. Naruto watched as the Sound Nin raised his fist in the air, and Naruto reacted instantly, "Scorpio, kunai!"

"I thought we were on a time table!" Sai said in disbelief. Scorpio understood Naruto's intent right away and threw the kunai straight at the Sound Nin. The Sound Nin leapt backwards from the kunai and shouted, "Whoever's there, come out!"

"Gladly!" Naruto shouted, landing on the ground and running straight for the Sound Ninja with his katana in its scabbard. As he charged the ninja, he focused chakra into his scabbard and started spinning it around as violently as possible. The ninja was amused enough by Naruto's charge to laugh, a mistake on his part. He underestimated Naruto for not being a ninja and Naruto would make him realize this. Naruto waited until he was right in front of the ninja before drawing his katana and releasing all the violent chakra he built up within, "Kenton: Rasengan no Ken!"

The chakra scattered immediately with enough force to knock Naruto backwards. At this range and with as much power as Naruto built up, the chakra shredded through the ninja and dismembered him in a way too horrific for Naruto to describe. The bloodied stumps which used to be the ninja were blown backwards and covered the field with a fine layer of blood. The rusted smell filled his nose and made him nauseous. He didn't intend to go this far in stopping the ninja. And yet, it was how the ninja died that bothered Naruto, not the fact that he died. Despite his distaste with the turnout, he still had to save face in front of an outsider like Sai. Once he regained his composure, he went to check on Chouji whom Scorpio moved to a nearby tree.

"How is he?" Naruto asked.

"He's breathing," Scorpio said.

"Shouldn't we get going?" Sai asked, "I thought you said we were in a hurry."

"We are, but that doesn't mean we can't help a few people along the way," Naruto told Sai, "We'll leave him here and come back for him after we're done."

"Yes, Oyabun," Scorpio bowed. The three of them took off in a sprint right away in the same direction as before, moving as fast as they could. They had only gone about five minutes before they ran into a battle between another Konoha and Oto nin. The Leaf ninja had long brown hair and the Hyuuga's trademark byakugan eyes, which meant he was probably a member of the Hyuuga Clan. The Oto nin had a head of pineapple hair, three eyes, and six arms. The six armed teen emitted a chakra so strong that Naruto could see the violet color as it left his body. It must have been more concentrated than the chakra from the last fight because Naruto wasn't able to sense it at all until he was looking right at it. The Hyuuga was likely to be in danger if he wasn't careful and Naruto saw an opportunity to gain favor with Hinata's father.

"Scorpio, Sai, let's keep an eye on this fight," Naruto ordered, moving behind a tree to remain hidden from the spider-like ninja. Scorpio and Sai followed suit by hiding in the surrounding foliage, though Sai sarcastically remarked, "You know that's a Hyuuga, right? I'm sure the byakugan will see no matter where we hide."

Naruto was annoyed by Sai's comment, but he did have a point. There was no point in hiding from the Hyuuga since his byakugan would undoubtedly see them wherever they hid. Naruto however was more concerned with the Sound Ninja than the Hyuuga. If they were found out, the Hyuuga was less likely to kill the boyfriend of his clan's heiress than the Sound Ninja. Then again, he might be one of the many Hyuuga who opposed Naruto's relationship with her so there was a chance he would attack anyway. On the flipside, Naruto might be able to win more of the clan over by helping him out if the fight started to favor the Sound nin. Just in case, he prepped his katana and focused chakra around the blade. It was a cheap attack that he was relying a little bit too much on, but it was fast if nothing else.

They watched the fight unfold into a conflict of attrition. The six armed ninja used a combination of spinning webs and firing arrows to limit the Hyuuga's freedom of movement. The Hyuuga used his clan's famous byakugan and 'Gentle Fist' fighting style to stay just ahead of the sound ninja's webs and deflect the arrows. Several times, Naruto saw the Hyuuga glance briefly in his direction and in that moment, the two of them would exchange glances. The Hyuuga obviously knew he was and the message in his eyes was clear: 'back off, this is my fight'. Naruto understood that much, but he was ready to intervene once the opportunity presented itself.

And it did.

The Hyuuga had allowed himself to be surrounded on all sides by the web and was limited to a small patch of dirt for movement. The Oto nin used this chance to fire a flurry of arrows down on the Hyuuga and it was all he could do to block all the arrows as fast as he could. Now was his chance.

"Scorpio, I'm going to cut the tree. Take out the Oto nin as soon as he's on the ground," Naruto instructed.

"What should I do, Boss Kitsune?" Sai asked excitedly.

"Keep an eye on the Hyuuga," Naruto said, "Make sure he's safe."

By this time, Naruto could feel the scabbard shaking violently in protest of the amount of chakra he had built up. Naruto rounded the tree and drew his katana, shooting the chakra out into long tendrils that obliterated the tree the Oto nin stood atop. The ninja lost his balance and looked down in time to see the tree he was on was crumbling to splinters. The ninja fell as the ruined tree gave way beneath his feet and he crashed onto the ground with a thud. The ninja tried to scramble to his feet but Scorpio was on him immediately with two katana over his head. The ninja spat out a web from his mouth and it hit Scorpio in the eyes, blinding him and allowing the Oto nin to roll out of harm's way, "Damn! I didn't think help would come so fast! Wait, you guys aren't Leaf ninja."

"No, we're Kitsune," Naruto said, running at the ninja with both of his katana drawn. The Oto ninja saw the gap close and threw his bow up to defend himself. Naruto adjusted the swing of one his swords so that one would meet the boy, and the other would get a clean cut at the ninja. And it worked. The ninja staggered backwards, holding a hand over his wound and wincing his eyes in pain.

"Hakke Rokujūyon Shō!" the Hyuuga roared, unleashing a flurry of strikes on the Oto ninja with his bare hands. Naruto saw the look of pain on the Oto nin as each hit struck their mark, before falling to the ground with one last strike, "Sixty-four!"

The Oto nin fell to the ground, with his eyes rolling into the back of his head as he gasped for breath while foaming at the mouth. The Oto nin was dead. The Hyuuga had a look of disgust as Naruto walked up to him. With gritted teeth, he barked, "What are you doing here?"

"Out for a walk," Naruto lied, "We saw you needed a hand and we decided to help."

"You're a terrible liar," the Hyuuga remarked, "You're here for the same reason my team is. Sasuke, I can't let you interfere with Leaf business."

"I was out for a walk," Naruto insisted, "I'm guessing you decided to distract this guy so the rest of your team could go after Sasuke?"

"I won't say it again," the Hyuuga said calmly, "Stay out of Leaf business."

"I am," Naruto lied, trying to turn the attention away from him, "If I were you, I'd be more worried about your teammate back there. The Sound ninja got him pretty bad."

"Chouji?" the Hyuuga frowned for a moment, but quickly hid his concern behind a mask of passivity.

"Sure," Naruto said, "Anyway, you'd better watch over him."

"Why don't you? I'm in the middle of an important mission and I can't afford to be distracted," the Hyuuga hissed accusingly. Naruto took the opportunity to point out the flaw in that argument, "You mean get involved in Leaf business that you just told me to stay out of? I'm confused, do you want me to help or not?"

"Never mind," the Hyuuga said, "I'll take care of him myself. But if I found out you've interfered with the mission in anyway, I will bring you to justice before the Leaf, even if you are Lady Hinata's boyfriend."

"I'll keep that in mind," Naruto answered as the Hyuuga took off. By this time, Scorpio had already removed the webbing with some help from Sai, "Are you okay?"

"Webbing caught me off guard, but I'm fine," Scorpio explained as he threw off the last of the webbing, "Thank you...Sai, was it?"

"Yes," Sai answered cheerfully.

"Come on," Naruto ordered, "We still have a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time to cover it."

They took off on another sprint in the same direction as before, with Naruto pushing himself harder than he had before. He had already wasted enough time on trying to gain a favor with the Hyuuga. He helped the Hyuuga but he wasn't grateful for it. That was enough though. The Hyuuga would remember this, and would at least be indebted to Naruto.

They had gone about ten minutes before they came across the next fight, a conflict at the bottom of a ravine between a large, white two-headed dog and a man with twice as many appendages and heads as a normal human being. Naruto had no idea if this fight was relevant to the rescue team, but there was no way to tell who was on whose side. He didn't have the time to distinguish sides since he had already wasted enough time with Chouji and the Hyuuga. They would have to pass on helping whoever was the Leaf ninja here. He didn't like it, but they had to go.

They took off again at full speed, moving past the ravine and sticking to the ground. They would have to make up for lost time if they were going to have any hope in catching Sasuke, Wherever he was. It was about another twenty minutes before they came across the next battle. This one, Naruto could more readily tell who was on whose side. High up in the trees was Nara Shikamaru, and a red-haired teen kunoichi wearing a headband. He couldn't really hear it, but the kunoichi was playing a song on a flute that was probably bad since Shikamaru went on the defensive whenever she played a note. Although Naruto didn't stop to help, he was forced to wonder if Shikamaru would be okay by himself. Shikamaru was notoriously lazy back in the academy and was rarely bothered to do anything even when his life was endangered. Naruto didn't like the idea of Shikamaru dying, mostly because Shikamaru was one of the few people who was nice to him although that was probably because he was too lazy to dislike Naruto.

He reasoned that if Shikamaru was the only one promoted to Chunin, it must have been for a reason. Shikamaru would be able to care of himself. No, he should be able to take care of himself. That's what he told himself as they continued onward. Naruto hastened his pace. The battles were spread closer and closer together. That had to mean they were getting close, or at least making progress. Their pursuit eventually led them to the edge of the forest, out to a large clearing at the base of a mountainous area. It was here that everyone came to a halt at the sight before them.

Large white columns jutted out of the ground like the skeleton of a deceased monstrosity. From deep within the mass of rocks, Naruto could hear the sound of grunting and fighting. However, he could only sense enough chakra for one person. So one guy was fighting himself? That was a little too stupid to be true. Just at that moment, Naruto watched a familiar looking boy fly out of the mass of bones and crash land right in from of them. The kid had a bowl shaped haircut, a pair of thick eyebrows, and dressed in a form fitting green spandex. The boy was a little older than him, but somehow managed to look younger than Naruto did.

"Who are you, and why are you here? Are you here to fight me too?" the kid asked.

"Haven't we met before?" Naruto asked the kid, "And weren't you taller back then?"

"Taller? You know Gai-sensei?" the boy asked. Naruto examined the boy carefully, noting the odd similarities. The boy certainly dressed and looked the same way as the guy. This meant this kid was either a devoted follower, which was too hard to believe, or he was-

"Are you his son?" Naruto asked. The boy looked excited at those words and excitedly proclaimed, "You think I am his son? I'm sorry; I am not his son though I am honored that you would think so. I am his prized pupil! The Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha! I am Rock Lee!"

Naruto recalled Gai as a man dressed in a skin tight green spandex that left nothing to the imagination and acted like someone who was missing a few marbles. Lee might not have been his son, but he definitely didn't fall too far from the tree. Naruto had to force back a laugh at just the thought of this, but he wasn't able to keep a small chortle from getting out.

"What is so funny?" Lee asked. Naruto quickly collected himself and said, "Nothing."

"THERE YOU ARE!"

"Now would be a good time to run!" Lee shouted just as a silver haired man with long claws on one hand and a sword in the other hand appeared. The attacker punched the ground with his clawed hand and used his other hand to sweep around him with a sword. The suddenness of the attack forced everyone to scatter in different directions just as more large rock formations climbed out of the ground. Much to Naruto's dismay, Sai managed to land alongside him while Scorpio and Lee were nowhere to be found. Naruto didn't plan on hanging around in the open and promptly fled into mess of rock formations for cover, "Sai, this way!"

"Boss Kitsune! Where are the others?" Sai asked once they clamored behind one of the larger rock forms. Naruto peaked around the corner, completely unsure of where the attacker was or what he was after, "I have no idea, Sai. Any suggestions?"

"That man, his attack came out of nowhere and he disappeared just as quickly as he did," Sai said calmly, "He had a chance to take down any of us, but he chose not to. That can only mean he was trying to separate us from each other - a divide and conquer strategy. The only way to counter this kind of strategy is to keep everyone together to maximize the possibility of survival."

"Any idea where to start looking?" Naruto asked him. Just as Sai opened his mouth to talk, Naruto saw the silver haired man emerge from within the white rock with his sword raised over his head, "Die!"

"Sai!" Naruto immediately threw himself at Sai with Kitsune raised in a defensive position to block the downward strike of their attacker. Sai hit the ground hard and Naruto sandwiched him against it when they fell. He rolled off Sai quickly and saw the attacker coming right towards him. Naruto raised his sword up to defend himself again while drawing Kusanagi to take the offensive. The attacker stopped just short of Naruto's reach and pointed at him with his hand, "Tenshi Sendan!"

Naruto had just enough time to see five projectiles shoot out of the attacker's finger tips, and adjusted his sword defensively to block. He managed to strike three of them out of the air and dodge another, but the fifth got through and hit Naruto in the left shoulder. The feeling in his left arm disappeared as the projectile went straight through, and Naruto's grip on the Kusanagi loosened. He tried to tighten his grip, but he couldn't even tell if the sword was still in his hand. Naruto's was at a huge disadvantage in this situation. The attacker had a sword for close attacks and was able to launch projectiles with his other hand for long-range attacks. Naruto would have to flee, but he couldn't leave Sai alone. Sai was just a kid off the street and probably had no fighting experience. Naruto would have to pull double duty protecting Sai while fighting off this guy. But then, why did he care? He wanted Sai to get killed! Naruto was already beginning to regret bringing him along, but shouted, "Sai, find some cover!"

Naruto adjusted his stance with Kitsune held above his head and Kusanagi hanging limply at his side. He probably looked pretty awkward with his katana at his side, but that was irrelevant in this situation. He would buy Sai some time to get away before fleeing himself. The attacker raised his hand again, and Naruto immediately realized he was going to fire more projectiles again, "Tenshi Sendan!"

Naruto dived out of the way as five more projectiles whizzed past his head and rolled behind another of the rock pillars. The attacker clicked his tongue distastefully and pursued after him. Naruto took this chance to swing his weight around the corner of the column, using the momentum to lift his bad arm up and swing Kusanagi at the attacker. The attacker saw this coming and blocked with his own sword, giving Naruto the opening he wanted. He adjusted Kitsune to swing in to the man's open spot. The attacker saw Naruto's attack and raised his arm to defend himself. With Naruto's momentum and the edge of the Kitsune, the man would lose his arm with one clear swing. At least he should have. Too his surprise, the blade stopped right around where the man's bone should have been. Naruto tried to pull the katana free but found it wedged in the man's arm. The attacker laughed as he tried to pull the katana free and explained with a small smirk, "Surprised? My kekkei genkai - the shikotsuyaku - lets me control the growth of my bones and make them as strong as steel and as hard as rock! I'm untouchable!"

"Thanks for the heads up," Naruto answered sarcastically, putting his foot against the man's chest to push the katana free. Once he freed Kitsune, Naruto took the chance to check that Sai got away safely before leaping behind another rock formation before sprinting off in another direction to get as much distance he could between himself and the attacker. He would have to rethink his attack strategy - although it probably would have been better to retreat. However, he couldn't just leave Sai, Scorpio, or Lee here. Naruto finally came to a stop behind another white boulder to catch his breath. He would be safe for now.

"Boss Kitsune."

Naruto perked his head up and saw Sai beside him. Naruto wasn't sure if he was glad that he was okay, if only because he still had a nagging feeling in the back of his head that Sai had to die. All the same, he wasn't going to complain about help at the moment, "What are you doing here?"

"Staying behind cover," Sai answered, "but more importantly, I think I found a weakness in that man's attack."

"What are you talking about?"

"His kekkei genkai!" Sai explained, "It lets him harden his bones, but it does nothing for his muscles or any other part of his body."

"Yeah, so?"

"It'll require a precision strike," Sai explained, "But there are small gaps in the thoracic cage occupied only by cartilage and muscle. If you can concentrate an attack on the right spot and hit him with enough force, you'll miss his bone entirely and break through his heart."

"How do you know all this?" Naruto asked him. Sai's eyes shifted to the side while he muttered, "Oh...a few things here...and there...I read a couple of books. Things like that!"

Naruto didn't believe any of it for a second. There was no way a kid who grew up on the street would know anything about what Sai was talking about. Naruto didn't even understand any of that, and he went to the ninja academy where this kind of thing was taught every day! The whole thing was too suspicious, but circumstances were not going to let him think too much on it. He had to focus on the matter at hand, "Even if we could do that, my arm is feeling numb. And I'm pretty sure you didn't bring any weapons with you. Scorpio has the best arm, so if anyone can hit a target that small it'll be him."

"Well, actually," Sai mumbled, reaching for his back pocket. Naruto was curious to see what Sai was reaching for, but never got the chance. At that moment, their attacker reappeared above them with his raised over his head and pointed downwards in an attack position. Naruto was too tired to roll away so he threw up his katana to block but was unsure of what he was blocking since the man had the sun to his back. This was it. This was the moment Naruto would die.

At least until Scorpio appeared and locked swords with the attacker. Lee appeared behind the man at the same time and kicked the attacker away with a swift kick that sent him behind more rock formations. With a moment of respite, Scorpio and Lee regrouped beside Naruto and Sai, "Oyabun, you're injured!"

"It's nothing," Naruto answered, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Scorpio said, keeping his swords out and looking in every direction for another sign of the attacker, "Lee here helped me out. He says this man attacks mostly with hit and run tactics."

"As long as you keep moving, it shouldn't be too hard to wear him out," Lee explained, his chest heaving big breaths. It was painfully obvious that the guy was getting tired. Naruto didn't like to admit it, but Sai's strategy might actually work in this situation.

"That's a great idea, but Sai has an idea that might work," Naruto said, nodding in Sai's direction.

"He can harden his muscles, but I'm sure it hasn't occurred to him to use protect his heart," Sai explained, "There's a very small gap between the ribs in the intercostal cage that is right over the heart. If you hit at just the right angle, you can pierce his heart and kill him."

"Oh, is that all? How big of a target is it?" Scorpio asked, still furiously scanning his surroundings.

"About an inch," Sai answered. Scorpio rolled his eyes, "Of course."

"It's a long shot but it will work, but I do promise that it will work," Sai argued, "You believe me, right Boss Kitsune?"

"I'm for anything that will get us out of here fast," Naruto answered, "We're losing time and Sasuke isn't getting any closer."

"Sasuke?" Lee asked, "Am I correct in assuming that you're here with the secondary recovery team?"

"Something like that," Naruto lied. Lee breathed a sigh of relief, "Good, then I will leave it to you to continue after Sasuke. I shall stay here and hold off this man!"

"Thanks," Naruto nodded, "Scorpio, stay here and help Lee. Sai and I will go after Sasuke."

"Why Sai?" Scorpio asked.

"Because he came with an idea that I didn't in this kind of pressure. That will definitely come in handy," Naruto tried to reason with Scorpio. In reality, he just wanted to keep Sai close by in case he tried anything that Naruto didn't like. This reason seemed to be enough for Scorpio who silently nodded in agreement, "Yes, Oyabun."

"We'll wait for the man to attack again so that you two can get his attention and distract," Naruto laid out the plan, "Meanwhile, Sai and I will go after Sasuke. Agreed?"

"Yes Oyabun."

"Yeah!"

"Yes, Oyabun!" Lee added. Naruto gave Lee a confused look which, in turn, confused Lee, "Is Oyabun not your name?"

"N-"

"Tenshi Sendan!" the attacker's voice rang out from nowhere. This was their chance. Naruto and Sai took off in a sprint after Sasuke, while Scorpio and Lee skillfully dodged the barrage before charging their attacker. Naruto had just enough time to see Scorpio and the man cross blades momentarily. He didn't linger any longer to watch and continued running. They would have to hurry if they planned on catching up to Sasuke.

...

**Author's Note**: That's all for this tonight, dear readers! My next update will be in eight weeks on Friday, June 18th. If you loved it, let me know in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on Facebook, Twitter (leofib11235), the Playstation Network (PSN ID leo112358). However, please let me know that you read these stories because I tend to ignore invites from random people I don't know. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	49. Sasuke's Nindo, Naruto's Bushido

**Disclaimer**: Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as an animated series by Viz Media. The Art of War is a widely published text originally written Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicate, the Kaki Alliance, the Shirotsuki Clan, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi Ryouke, Kuroihi Yamato, Kasen Eiji, Yagami Shinji, Utawa Miji, Doragon Gan, and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Note**: Readers, friends, beta-readers, and editors. Today, Oyabun and Takato's Light II will be arriving several hours earlier than normal. A while back, I posted a chart on my deviantart account explaining the organizational structure of the Kuroihi Syndicate - you can find it under my profile name leonardo1123581321. With that out of the way, I'd like to offer congratulations to my good friend Kells (my beta reader) for her marriage and to have a good marriage. God speed Kells. And so, I go on to review responses:

**dalc789**: In order: 1) I really loved writing this story and I wanted to polish my writing ability which is the main reason I've been working on it for so long. 2) As far as you know. Maybe Tsunade had a sex change? Or transgender! Maybe Tsunade is an it (not from a lack of gender, but rather an excess).

**RaiOokami:** I'm happy to see you enjoyed the last chapter. To explain the numbers are sequence. Specifically, the sequence is: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, etc

**Lazyman12**: I'm not quite sure what you mean.

**DEBob19**: Yes, I was saving that joke for a long time and I was finally glad to be able to use it. Regarding Sai, he's only had one mission: to infiltrate the Kitsune Clan, learn their secrets, and get close to Naruto. Anything that helps that along is part of the mission.

**Shadow-Sensei**: Thank you for enjoying the story so far, since it's always good to hear your input. The story has been very complicated and ended up being much bigger than I anticipated, but that just made it all the more fun for me.

**dogbertcarroll**: Can't the same be said of all fanfiction, though? If anything, I like to think mine is fairly tame since: 1) All the guys aren't all madly in love with each other, 2) It doesn't stray too far from the series original canon, 3) It does a fairly good job of fitting the yakuza into the story. If suspending your disbelief for this fanfiction is too much, then I must question your own fanfiction regarding Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ironman running around.

**Challenge King**: I'm glad you've been liking the story this far.

I believe that's all for review responses, so I now invite you dear reader to see the rest of Naruto's tale:

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Chapter 48: Sasuke's Nindo, Naruto's Bushido**

Sai and Naruto raced through the forest as fast as they could, putting as much distance between themselves, Scorpio, Lee, and their attacker as possible. More importantly, they were hoping to overtake Sasuke who was probably already at the border to the Land of Rice. If that was the case, the Konoha ninja pursuit would be seen as an act of aggression perpetuated the Land of Fire. More worrisome to Naruto was that if he got caught, his presence in the Land of Rice might incite further conflict when the war between the Families had just ended. He would have to be careful from this point on.

Naruto's leg was killing him with each step he took, but he powered through the pain by keeping most of his weight on the opposite leg. After what felt like an hour of this excruciating exercise, they came across a road that was red with dried blood. Three men adorned in black suits we're spread across the road. The tattoos on their necks meant they were Kitsune. Naruto kneeled down beside each of the bodies to check if any were alive, but found that all three were gone. A quick inspection of their wounds and the kunai on their bodies told him that they were killed by a ninja. Possibly Sasuke. Naruto tried to reason with himself that Sasuke wasn't a murderer, but past evidences suggested that Sasuke would readily take a man's life if given the chance. He hadn't forgotten their duel in the Hyuuga compound, nor the killing intent in Sasuke's eyes. He would hate to admit it, but if that was the case, then Sasuke was definitely not going to come back to the village without a struggle.

Another large ravine that cut through the middle of the forest. There was a waterfall to the side, flanked on both sides by two large statues. The two statues faced towards each other, both had one hand around a weapon and the other making the sign of comradery between ninja. Just ahead, on the other side of the ravine, Naruto felt a weak presence of cold chakra. Naruto really hoped that wasn't Sasuke, since there was no visible way to traverse the ravine without climbing down and backup it. More worrisome, was the river below that smashed its ways through the ravine at full speed. Naruto traced the ravine with his eyes and found nothing that would let him get to the other side quickly. He didn't like it, but he would have to waste more chakra to walk down one end of the valley and up the other.

"Boss Kitsune, if I may," Sai interrupted Naruto before he could make his hand signs. Sai had retrieved a scroll of paper from within his pocket and started to draw upon it with amazing speed. Sai made a hand sign as soon as he finished and shouted, "Choju Giga!"

The drawing on Sai's scroll started to move, blinking at first but stretching next. The drawing proceeded to peel itself away from the paper and expand in proportion as it took shape. Naruto couldn't believe, but the picture Sai had drawn came to life in the form of a giant bird. Sai climbed onto the bird's back and reached out a hand to Naruto, "Climb on."

"Sai, how did you do that?" Naruto asked him.

"My... brother taught me," Sai said hesitantly. Naruto didn't know what to make of it. Sai knew how to use chakra and ninja techniques, which would make him a ninja. However, Sai said his brother taught him how to do this. Would that make Sai's brother the ninja or Sai a liar?

"You never mentioned a brother," Naruto pointed out.

"You never asked, Boss Kitsune," Sai frowned, "Are we going?"

"That's not what I meant, Sai. You're a street urchin living in Konoha. If you had a brother who could teach you something like that, then that would make him a ninja for the village - which brings me to another thing: We're about the same age, which would make you old enough to be a genin," Naruto concluded, drawing out both Kitsune and Kusanagi. Sai shook his head, "I'm not a genin, and my brother... died. A long time ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Naruto said with all the sincerity of a brick to the face, "Although that doesn't answer one question: wouldn't the village have taken care of the next of kin if your brother died? How did you end up on the street?"

"He wasn't my real brother," Sai explained, "He was... someone I was very close to."

"How did he die?"

"Sickness," Sai said, "Can we stop talking about this? It's... difficult."

Sai's eyes were cast towards the ground and wallowed with what looked like genuine sadness. Naruto decided to drop the issue for the time being, but only put away Kusanagi. There was still a lot about Sai that Naruto simply couldn't trust, and a lot more information for him to look into. Naruto thought that learning more about Sai would help put Naruto's mind at ease, but he still found a lot of it to be suspicious. For now, he would just have to trust this mysterious kid.

With that, the blonde boss took Sai's hand and said, "I'm sorry. Let's get going."

"Take off," Sai said quietly, and the bird took to the air with one beat of its massive wings. The bird ascended high into the air and crossed the massive ravine with ease, giving an amazing view of the statues flanking the waterfall. On the left, beside the Land of Rice, was a man Naruto didn't recognize but on the right, beside the border of the Land of Fire, was the First Hokage. If that was the case, the man on the left had to be Uchiha Madara - one of the founders of the Hidden Leaf. The story went that the First slew Madara for betraying the village, but the statues seemed to depict them more as friendly rivals than arch enemies.

"Boss Kitsune, should we be worried about entering the Land of Rice like this? They might take it the wrong way."

"We'll just say we're traveling, Sai," Naruto explained, "And you should've done this earlier if you had the ability. It would've saved us a lot of time back there."

"Yes, sorry, Boss Kitsune," Sai apologized. They rode atop the bird for a good ten to twenty minutes before finally catching sight of someone traveling alone through a forest road. As far as they were, Naruto could immediately tell who it was. Perhaps it was intuition. Maybe it was just destiny. In either case, he knew. It was Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto patted Sai on the back and pointed down, "Down there!"

"Yes, sir," Sai said, guiding his bird into a dive. It came to a stop just in front of Sasuke, and Naruto leapt off the bird right away to meet him. Sasuke's face bore nothing but contempt and mild surprise. More horrifically, the left side of his face was littered with black markings and his eyes had inverted their colors. Although Naruto normally tried to maintain some composure when talking to others, but the way Sasuke looked now was more than enough to stop him in his tracks. Still, he had to act natural for appearance's sake, "There you are, Sasuke. We've been looking forever for you. We're here to take you back to the village."

Sasuke started snickering, then laughing, before cackling at the top of his lungs, "You are the last person I want to see right now. What the hell makes you think I'm going anywhere with you?"

"I didn't think you would," Naruto answered, "You left the village, which means you weren't going to willingly return."

"So then why did you follow me?" Sasuke asked, his voice suddenly becoming more serious but still mocking, "Was it Sakura? Did she beg you to come after me, the great Boss Kitsune! The prodigy of the Kuroihi! The Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox!"

"I just wanted to talk, that's all," Naruto responded calmly, "We can talk, right?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed suspiciously but his smile was still there, "Sure, we can talk. Talk as much as you want. I'm going to kill you anyway."

Naruto was taken aback by that last part. Sasuke planned on killing him. Sure, he and Sasuke never got a long in the past. And Naruto had considered letting Sasuke die in the past, but he never actually planned killing him. More annoyingly, Naruto couldn't lay a finger on Sasuke because of previous agreements. He would have to wing it somehow, although he had no idea what he could do if he couldn't even touch him, "Sakura did ask me to come after you. To be honest, I could care less what she wants. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate her - but I don't think the two of us will ever get along. The fact is, I'm here to bring you back to the village of my own free will."

"You still haven't told me why," Sasuke stated.

"To protect you."

"Why!" Sasuke demanded.

"A promise I made," Naruto stated, "I promised him I'd keep you safe. If I let you go to Orochimaru, I break that promise. Konoha and Suna aren't the only ones who want him dead. The Kuroihi, the Kaki, and the Shirotsuki are all coming after him too. I know some people say I can do anything, but there are some things I just can't do. If you go to Orochimaru, then I won't be able to protect you because they'll kill you along with him."

"I won't die," Sasuke affirmed, "That's my nindo, my ninja way. That's always been my ninja way. I will live and survive, until I kill the man who ruined my life!"

"You mean your brother," Naruto said calmly.

"He slaughtered my entire clan! The only reason he left me alive was because he said I wasn't worth killing! I will make him pay for what he did to my clan! To me! To my life!"

"I'm sorry Sasuke," Naruto apologized, "You can still plan on killing him if you want, but I'm not letting you go to Orochimaru just to die."

"Is that a fact!"

"It's my bushido, my 'Warrior Way'. I never go back on my word, and I take care of the people I care about!" Naruto affirmed, "I'm keeping my promise to protect you. And that means I will take you back to the Leaf Village!"

"Your Warrior Way?" Sasuke laughed, "Since when were you a samurai? Last time I checked, samurai didn't go around robbing the poor and killing the innocent!"

"It's funny," Naruto snickered, his tone becoming more erratic, "You're telling me I'm a horrible person when ninja are the ones who build themselves around deception. I mean, I'm only twelve and I've learned more about the terrible things the village has done than I ever wanted to know. I mean, damn! Do you guys like lying to each other, or does it just come with the territory?"

"Don't talk to me about lies, Naruto. You're entire life became what it is because you faked your own death!"

"I did what I had to, Sasuke," Naruto explained, "To save my life. And I'll do whatever if takes to save your life from Orochimaru."

"What makes you think my life needs saving?" Sasuke asked with a smile. The smile was unnerving. Those who knew Naruto's own wicked smiles in the past would have described Sasuke's as all of them compressed into a single moment of pure malevolent genius. The kind that knew it could not lose. And it made Naruto fearful. It was becoming more and more difficult to maintain his composure, "You're going to Orochimaru. What more reason do I need?"

"Orochimaru has given me power," Sasuke explained pulling his collar aside to reveal that the markings on his face extended all the way down to his shoulder, "This curse mark is a gift, one that's unlocked untold possibilities. And Orochimaru has promised me more. I just need to find him."

"What kind of power would make you want to go to him?" Naruto asked, which only made Sasuke snicker more. His eyes turned red and two comma like marks appeared around his pupil, "Let me show you!"

Sasuke moved so fast that Naruto just barely had time to recognize it. In the matter of a blink, Sasuke had closed the gap between them and introduced his fist to Naruto's face. The sheer force of the blow sent Naruto flying backwards into Sai's bird which disappeared in a splash of ink. Naruto wiped the ink off his face and took a fighting stance with Kitsune. At the same time, he wrapped a hand around Kusanagi and slowly trickled chakra into the blade, "I liked this suit."

"Good, cause you're going to die in it," Sasuke jeered, getting another running start at Naruto. There wasn't enough chakra built into the Kusanagi's scabbard, so Naruto was forced to take the defensive. He raised up Kitsune to block a kunai in Sasuke's hand, while Sasuke's free hand clasped onto Naruto's face to push him down. As he fell, Naruto pulled Kusanagi out and fired a wave of chakra, "Kenton: Rasengan no Ken!"

The chakra tendrils shot out of the scabbard to hit, nothing but air. Naruto wasn't sure how, but Sasuke successfully managed to get out of his attacks path. But, how? That attack was able to hit both Orochimaru and Kabuto! How did Sasuke get around it? From behind him, Sasuke's smug voice explained, "This is the power Orochimaru is giving me! The power to kill you!"

Naruto felt a sharp pain in his back and all the energy ran out of his body. Both of his katana slipped out of his hands and hit the ground with a klang. There was a slight nudge forward and he felt himself falling face first to the ground. By some miracle, he managed to catch himself on the way down and rolled himself on his side to get a look at Sasuke, "I mixed that kunai with some of my own chakra. It's won't kill you, but it will mess with your chakra flow for a while. But I won't just kill you. I'll play with you first."

"Leave Boss Kitsune, alone!" Sasuke and Naruto were surprised to see Sai uppercut the genin with a sharp punch to the jaw. Sai certainly caught Sasuke off guard, but it didn't take long for Sasuke to use Sai's own momentum against him. Sasuke flipped backwards and kicked Sai into the air. Sai rolled in the air and landed a few feet away with little effort, holding both his brush and his scroll in hand.

"Who are you? I don't remember ever seeing you around the village," Sasuke frowned.

"My name is Sai, and I will not let you lay another finger on Boss Kitsune," Sai declared, drawing furiously on the scroll he held out. Three tigers of ink leapt towards Sasuke from the paper, and were quickly dispersed by a blast of fire from Sasuke's mouth.

"I take it you're a member of the Kitsune Clan? So, are you here to fight and die for your boss?" Sasuke teased.

"Boss Kitsune isn't my boss, and I'm not a member of the Kitsune Clan."

"Then why are you here?" Sasuke demanded.

"Because Boss Kitsune...," Sai answered awkwardly, "Is someone important to me. I will do everything to protect him."

The way Sai spoke sounded forced. Like he meant what he was saying, but had a hard time saying it - and it made Naruto wonder how genuine it was. Still, Naruto would take any help he could get at the moment. It was just a question of how long Sai would last. Sasuke took him out in a matter of seconds, so how long would a street kid like Sai last? Naruto didn't want to think about something as terrible as that. Mostly out of pity for Sai.

So, it was natural for Naruto to be amazed when Sai was able to keep pace with Sasuke. He wasn't as fast as Sasuke, but he was able to keep a safe distance between them and could change his position if Sasuke tried to land a hit. During those brief moments when Sai dodged out of the way of one of Sasuke's attacks, Naruto saw Sasuke's left pinkie finger twitch a little. It was subtle, but it was there. Naruto watched Sasuke more closely as the two continued their game of cat and mouse. Then Naruto saw it again. Sasuke's left pinkie twitched as the Uchiha brought his arm back to wind up a punch. And he saw it again just before Sasuke started making hand signs. Just like how Keitaro's leg would twitch before he moved, Sasuke's pinkie twitched whenever he was about to attack.

It was a good discovery too, since Naruto was getting some energy back into him. The blonde gang leader dragged himself to a nearby tree and reached for his back where the pain was. Naruto felt a metal edge, and wrapped his fingers around it carefully so he wouldn't cut himself. He bit his tongue to force back a scream while he removed the kunai from his back. He threw the kunai aside and pushed hard against the wound to stop the bleeding. It hurt like hell, but it was better than the alternative: death. Using his free hand, Naruto reached for Kitsune, replaced it in its scabbard and used it to focus his chakra.

But nothing came of it. Between the pain, Sasuke's chakra, and his own mind getting hazier, it was impossible to concentrate chakra into anything. The world around him was getting fuzzier, and started to disappear into nothing. He could already feel death's cold embrace greeting him. He didn't want to die though! Not like this. Not when he had so much he still wanted to do. So many people he cared about. He couldn't afford to die!

_**Uzumaki Naruto...**_

"Damn, it's the fox," Naruto mumbled to himself.

_**So, this is it? This is where the great Boss of the Kitsune Clan dies...**_

"I'm really not in a talking mood right now, fox," Naruto mumnled.

_**Then die here, far from anyone you ever cared for. Just know that I'll make you suffer for dying like this when we get to hell...**_

_Why do you care?_ Naruto thought,_ I thought you said you could resurrect yourself if you died._

_**I'm a demon...I lie...**_

_Point taken._

_**There is another way, though.**_

Naruto found himself standing within the same dimly-lit room as before, where water flowed along the floor. The steel gate was before him, and on it was the same piece of paper with the character for Seal on it. Through it, he saw the menacing grin and wild eyes of the Nine Tailed Fox staring back at him, "Damage the seal, Uzumaki Naruto."

"What?"

"**Damage the seal, and release some of my chakra.**"

"Right, why would I listen to you? You just told me you lie. How do I know you're not going to try to take control?"

"**Because I won't. I'll heal your body and expel the Uchiha's chakra. From there, the Uchiha is your problem.**"

"That's not exactly a comforting assurance."

"**Would you rather die**?"

"No."

"**Then damage the seal**."

"Okay, how?"

"**Tear a corner off the seal. Do that, and my chakra will do the rest.**"

"You know I'm just going to get the Pervy Sage to redo the seal later, right?"

"**Death doesn't sound any better.**"

"Alright, seal release!" Naruto said, tearing off a small piece of the paper on the gate.

Naruto jolted awake in the middle of the forest. He could feel the fox's chakra surging through his body, invigorating him with every pulse through his body. The pain in his back was gone and his mind felt crystal clear. The fox's healing ability was amazing.

Certain that he couldn't lose, Naruto tightened his grip on Kitsune, jumped off the ground, and retrieved Kusanagi. He resheathed Kusanagi to prepare another Rasengan and held Kitsune in an offensive stance to fight Sasuke. Sai and Sasuke were fighting just a few yards away, and it was clear Sasuke was winning. Sai scribbled on his scroll every chance that he got, but was never able to summon anything more than a few small animals since Sasuke wasn't giving him the chance to draw anything bigger. This was a good thing, though. If Sasuke was distracted, Naruto could easily attack him. He raised Kitsune over his head, and started funneling chakra into the Kusanagi. Almost immediately, Naruto felt Kusanagi vibrating in protest of how much chakra built into the scabbard.

Having never really been in control of his own body when it was channeling the fox's chakra, he could honestly say that it was amazing. He couldn't ever imagine not using this chakra. Naruto didn't waste any time in getting a running start after Sasuke. Somehow his entire body felt lighter and it moved with no effort. He stretched out his arm and swung Kitsune at Sasuke once he was in range. Sasuke managed to see Naruto's attack and ducked underneath the swing before it connected. Still, Naruto managed to get some of Sasuke's hair - so that had to count for something.

Sasuke leapt away from Naruto and Sai, landing a few feet away, "I thought you were dead."

"Isn't that what you said last time?" Naruto asked, recalling when he faked his own death in the Land of Waves. He really hoped that it didn't start becoming a habit - because getting hurt all the time wasn't exactly a long term survival plan.

"Heh, so you played possum while your friend here got stuck fighting me?" Sasuke asked, "What kind of bushido is that?"

"Are you alright, Sai?" Naruto asked, completely ignoring Sasuke.

"Yes, Boss Kitsune," Sai answered, wiping blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, "I'm glad to see you're alright."

"Thanks," Naruto nodded, "Listen, I have a plan. Sasuke moves faster than my Kenton so I need you to use your drawing to make something big. Really big. Something to hold him down so I can use the Kenton. Can you manage that?"

"Maybe, what did you want?"

"Anything. As long as it's really big and can slow him down," Naruto told, "Can you do that?"

"Maybe, but it'll take some time," Sai answered.

"How long?"

"Twenty minutes."

"Done," Naruto said, rushing Sasuke while paying attention to his left hand. The pinkie finger twitched, and Naruto saw Sasuke fling three kunai in his direction. Naruto slid beneath all three kunai and continued with Kitsune ready to swing. Much to his annoyance, Sasuke sidestepped his attack and prepared another kunai. Sasuke thrust the kunai forward, but Naruto adjusted Kitsune to block the kunai. Unlike before, he managed to stop the kunai before it pierced him and knocked the kunai out of Sasuke's hand. Naruto spun around and drew Kusanagi as soon as Sasuke was in his sight. With a loud boom, all of the chakra shot out of Kusanagi's scabbard with a sudden rush. Like before, Sasuke moved out of its path just as the chakra tendrils raced past and tore apart the forest behind him.

Naruto threw Kusanagi back into its scabbard and started concentrating more chakra for another attack. Naruto swung Kitsune, taking care to aim his swing to conserve energy. Sasuke dodged each swing with ease and then countered by catching Kitsune mid-swing. Sasuke yanked Kitsune out of Naruto's hand and pointed it back at him, "What's that trick of yours? The Kenton, right? I'm guessing you do that by channeling your chakra into this sword. Like this-"

Sasuke was cut off when the Kitsune exploded with chakra that it fired at Sasuke. Sasuke was sent thrown into a nearby tree while Kitsune whirled through the air and landed beside Sai. Naruto recovered it right away and pointed it back at the genin.

"How?" Sasuke growled.

"Chakra infusion," Naruto explained, "Kitsune only responds to my chakra. If anyone else tries to mold chakra through it, it'll just shoot it back at them."

"When did you learn something like that?" Sasuke shouted.

"The Land of Waves," Naruto answered, "From Haku and Zabuza."

"You learned something from those murderers, but you won't let me learn from Orochimaru?" Sasuke asked sarcastically.

"Different circumstances: Zabuza and Haku didn't have the whole world looking for them."

"You still learned from them."

"That's not the problem here, Sasuke. I'm trying to save your life!" Naruto shouted, charging at him again with Kitsune in the air. Sasuke's finger twitched and Naruto found himself facing a wall of flying kunai. He was forced to release Kusanagi early, firing the chakra out of his scabbard to deflect the incoming wall of kunai attacks. The kunai were knocked aside to show Sasuke right behind the mass of weapons. With his Rasengan wasted prematurely, Naruto focused chakra around Kitsune and swung it wildly. The chakra flew off the blade and formed a wave of energy that forced Sasuke to abandon his attack. Sasuke managed to position himself out of the wave's path and skidded to a stop a few feet away, "How did you-"

"Hell if I know," Naruto gasped in surprise, "I didn't know I could do that."

And now he did. And now he had an advantage over Sasuke. He held out both Kitsune and Kusanagi at arm's length and started letting the chakra flow into both swords. With two swings, Naruto released the energy in both swords and managed to cut down the surrounding trees. Sasuke managed to escape the destruction by substituting himself with a rock. A snapping twig behind him, alerted Naruto to Sasuke's presence and he found himself on the receiving end of another attack. The blonde brought up both swords defensively and caught a mass of kunai.

"Futon: Gokyaku no Jutsu!" Sasuke blasted a fireball out of his mouth that Naruto was unable to avoid. He could feel the fire burning away at his clothes and eating away at his skin. He hurried to remove the burning coat, shirt, and tie - getting them off just before they could melt to his skin. That didn't save him from the second degree burns, which stung like hell. Even so, he could already feel the fox's chakra at work and his wounds were closing despite the pain lingering.

Naruto readjusted himself and aimed both katana at Sasuke, "Remember how I said I liked that suit?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"I really liked that suit!" Naruto shouted, racing at full speed towards Sasuke and unleashing a series of swift swings, stabs, and cuts. Sasuke easily weaved through the attacks, and found a way to kick Kitsune out of Naruto's hand. Sasuke then came in close under another of Naruto's swings and nailed a punch on his stomach. At this distance, Naruto could see all the sweat running down Sasuke's face and fatigue in his eyes. His sharingan eyes; the three marks around the pupil.

Naruto was no expert, but he was certain he only saw two marks there before. If there were three, did that mean his sharingan had suddenly become stronger? That was a little too convenient and could a sharingan become stronger. Naruto wrapped his hand around the area Sasuke hit and swung Kusanagi wide. Sasuke leapt over Naruto and kicked him forward into a tree. He spun around to face Sasuke in time for the Uchiha to throw a solid hit in the face. This was a chance, and Naruto took it. He grabbed Sasuke's hand to hold him in place and plunged Kusanagi into Sasuke's leg. It went through clean and Sasuke screamed in agony, beating on Naruto's hand as much as he could. Naruto pulled the katana out, and it made a disgusting sliding noise as it did. Sasuke grabbed at his leg but was still standing, "I'll kill you!"

"Damn. I thought that would at least knock you down," Naruto thought out loud.

"Die!" Sasuke shouted, creating a Chidori in his hands. Sasuke moved at Naruto ready to strike. Naruto threw up his katana to protect himself while the sound of birds screeching filled the air.

"Choju Giga!" Sai shouted. Before Sasuke's attack could connect, an ink flew between Sasuke and Naruto - taking the hit for the Kitsune Clan head. The blonde boss was shocked to see hundreds of tiny ink mice and bird swarm over Sasuke. Sasuke desperately tried to pull them off to little avail. There was simply too many for him to get to. Naruto couldn't believe it, but Sai had pulled through. And there was no time to lose. Those mice wouldn't be able to hold Sasuke down forever. He threw Kusanagi back into it scabbard, and started focusing his chakra into it while retrieving Kitsune. Naruto focused chakra around the blade of Kitsune and returned to where Sasuke lay struggling to pull the mice off. As the chakra flowed, Naruto leapt into the air and took care to position himself just right.

He then released both the cahkra wave from Kitsune and the chakra from Kusanagi's scabbard, "Kenton: Rasengan no Ken!"

The attacks tore through all of Sai's mice and birds, reaching Sasuke who lay at the bottom of the pile. Sasuke shrieked out in agony as the attacks connected. His clothes tore, his skin broke, and he became soaked in ink and blood. Then he fell silent, collapsing into unconsciousness from both the pain and force of the attacks. Naruto went to his side right away and placed two fingers on his neck. There was a pulse which meant he was alive. He was thankful for that. The last thing he wanted was to kill the boy. Otherwise, Itachi would come after him.

"Is he alive?" Sai asked.

"Yeah, he's still got a pulse," Naruto answered, "That was good work, but not what I meant when I said big."

"A thousand tiny ants are harder to kill than one dog," Sai remarked. Naruto nodded, "It worked anyway. Do you think you can draw us a ride back? Not a bird. If Sasuke falls, that'll be a problem."

"I think so," Sai set out to work drawing. After a few quick strokes, a large tiger with a saddle on its back leapt out of the scroll. With help from Sai, Naruto threw Sasuke over the tiger's back. Sai sat in the front to steer while Naruto sat behind him to make sure Sasuke didn't fall off. The tiger rode off through the forest, in the direction of the Land of Fire.

As soon as it had scaled the vast chasm that marked border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rice, a leaf ninja appeared. A jonin wearing a mask the covered the bottom half of his face, draping his head band to cover one eye, and silver hair - Hatake Kakashi. Kakashi raced alongside the tiger, "I heard that the Kuroihi had gone after Sasuke."

"He's alive but unconscious," Naruto explained, "I know you can't go to the Land of Rice without permission from the Feudal Lord, and Sasuke refused to go back to the Land of Fire. I had to knock him out just so we could drag him back."

"I'll take him back from here," Kakashi said, "Your job is done here."

"No," Naruto refused, "I made a promise to protect Sasuke and that's what I'm going to do. Besides, how do I know you weren't sent here to kill him?"

"Why would I kill my own student?" Kakashi demanded.

"How do I know you're the real Kakashi?" Naruto returned the question.

"What kind of question is that?"

"There are a lot of people who would want Sasuke dead. If you don't mind, I'm going to hang on to him for a while," Naruto said, "You can accompany me back to the village if you want, but no one is getting near Sasuke until I get him to a doctor."

"A medical team was dispatched to assist the recovery team," Kakashi informed him, "Let them have a look at Sasuke."

"The only one seeing Sasuke will be a medic I trust," Naruto said.

"And who's that?"

"Lady Tsunade."

...

It must have been quite a sight, when they finally returned to the village in the middle of its busiest hour. A half naked Naruto, with an unconscious Sasuke, and a beaten Sai riding atop what looked like a crudely drawn tiger. It came to a stop at the village gate to let loose a triumphant roar before continuing on in the direction of the village hospital. In its haste, the riders failed to notice the pink haired Sakura waiting to meet them at the entrance.

Sakura was only able to catch a glimpse, but what she saw stunned her. Sasuke's eyes were closed, and his body was covered in dried blood. Naruto, on the other hand, didn't have a scratch on him except that he was missing his shirt and coat. Naruto told her that he was going to bring Sasuke back, but he didn't mention that he was going to bring Sasuke back in this state. She tried to be grateful, but knowing Sasuke was like that left her confused. Even so, she followed them to the hospital - running as fast as she could.

When she finally arrived at the hospital, she went straight to reception and asked to know where her team mate Sasuke was. The receptionist apologized and stated that Sasuke had been moved into surgery. Sakura's heart sank at the revelation and she resigned herself to waiting in the lobby - hoping that Naruto would pass by on his way out. She must have waited for hours but her patience paid off when she saw Naruto come down the hall to meet one of his clansmen at the hospital entrance. The clansman was holding an orange dress shirt, tie, and coat, that Naruto dressed himself in, "Thanks for bringing this Shinji. I hope it wasn't too much trouble."

"You can thank me by not hurting our income sources so much," Shinji answered, "Sometimes I wonder if you even care about our budget."

"We have cash to burn," Naruto said.

"And payments to make. Those renovations don't pay for themselves."

"I'm sorry, Shinji. I wish I could tell you more, but I can't. All I can say is I'm trying to secure the future of the clan."

"Naruto," Sakura said to get his attention. Naruto turned around just as he finished buttoning up his shirt and frowned, "Oh... hello, Sakura."

"I saw Sasuke when you guys ran by the gate and-"

"Let me guess, you think I killed him?" Naruto cut her off.

"No, I-" Sakura paused hesitantly. She was trying to be thankful to Naruto, and getting frustrated wouldn't help. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, "I want to know what happened... to Sasuke, I mean."

"He didn't want to come back to the village," Naruto explained, "I tried to talk him into going back, but he wouldn't listen. Then he attacked. I didn't have a choice. He didn't pass out until he got to that point."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh," Naruto frowned, returning his attention to Shinji, "Have you heard anything about Scorpio?"

"Yes, he was brought back with the rest of the recovery team by the medical shinobi," Shinji answered, "They were all in pretty rough shape. The Sound escorts really worked a number on them."

"They'll live, right?"

"We don't know, right now. It all depends on the skill of the medical ninja now. I didn't think you'd care, though."

"When have I never cared?" Naruto asked, raising his collar for Shinji to fasten the tie, "Thanks for helping with this. You need to teach me how to make a knot like that some time."

"Later," Shinji finished fastening the tie, "I don't think a hospital would be a good place to teach you."

"Right," Naruto threw the coat over himself, and turned to face Sakura, "Look, it wouldn't have gone that far if it was my choice. It looks bad, but he'll live. Lady Tsunade, herself, is taking care of him."

Sakura was able to breathe a sigh of relief when she heard that. Lady Tsunade was a famous medical shinobi, responsible for reforming the ninja system so that every team had a medic assigned to their roster. If anyone would be able to keep Sasuke, it would be her. Her worries put to rest, Sakura said one last thing, "Naruto... thank you."

"Don't mention it," Naruto answered, walking out the door.

...

**Author's Note**: That's all for this tonight, dear readers! My final update will be in four weeks on Friday, July 27th. If you loved it, let me know in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the final chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on Facebook, Twitter (leofib11235), the Playstation Network (PSN ID leo112358). However, please let me know that you read these stories because I tend to ignore invites from random people I don't know. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!


	50. The Son of Momiji Hashi

Disclaimer: Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as an animated series by Viz Media. The Art of War is a widely published text originally written Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicate, the Kaki Alliance, the Shirotsuki Clan, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi Ryouke, Kuroihi Yamato, Kasen Eiji, Yagami Shinji, Utawa Miji, Doragon Gan, and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Author's Note:** Well, here we are dear readers. The final chapter to Oyabun. I'd like to take a moment to thank you, the readers, for coming this far with me and enjoying this story for so long. I also want to give commendations to my beta crew over the years: Olga and Kells. Thanks for all your assistance. It's been a long time coming so there's no point in delaying it any longer. I'll just do a few quick review responses and we'll dive right in:

**DarkRavie: **Here it is. The final chapter. Please enjoy.

**Lazyman12: **I'm planning on answering that question in the afterword I'll post up in about a month. It'll contain all my thoughts and experiences on writing this story over the years. If you really want to know though, I'll sum it up in one sentence: I got the idea from Mario Puzo's 'The Sicilian'.

**Roboguy45: **I'll admit, I put Sakura in a very negative light. I tried to make her more sympathetic towards the end, but there was very little I could salvage from her character.

**OBSERVER01: **Here we are. The final chapter. Thanks for coming all this way with me.

**Lobocom: **Thanks for the compliments. What did ahorro mean?

**Shadow-Sensei: **Thanks for being with this story for so long. This is the final chapter of Oyabun for a long time so please, read and enjoy.

**Deathgod: **It's unfortunate that you joined so late into the story since this is, in fact, the final chapter. Please read and enjoy.

And so, I present Oyabun's grand finale:

Oyabun

(An Older Brother)

Chapter 49: The Son of Momiji Hashi

Several days had passed since Naruto and Sai successfully retrieved Sasuke after his defection. Everyone on the recovery team came back alive, although Chouji was in critical condition upon his return. For his help, Naruto decided to reward Scorpio by giving him a few days paid vacation. Sai would be rewarded as well, something Naruto was going to be sure to attend to.

On Tsunade's orders, there were at least two shinobi standing guard outside his hospital room at all times. Naruto wanted to be extra careful and made sure some shinobi on the Kitsune's payroll occasionally stopped by to check up on him - mostly to make Sasuke feel important. About two days after the exhausting mission, Haku and his men returned from the Land of Snow, having assured that Princess Koyuki's new reign would last for some time.

Relieved to hear this news, Naruto went to see Sasuke. Naruto and Sai found Sasuke on his way to Orochimaru by himself, which meant Sasuke knew where Orochimaru was. This might be the closest anyone would ever get to finding the most wanted man alive and Naruto had to know where he was.

Hospital staff were kind enough to let him see Sasuke without too much trouble, although the admitting nurse did glare at him the whole time they were talking. The unit where Sasuke was being kept was under heavy guard by several shinobi, several of whom nodded at Naruto as he passed. The inside of Sasuke's room was dark since the blinds were closed and the light was off. He found Sasuke lying down on his bed staring up angrily at the ceiling.

"How are you Sasuke?" Naruto greeted him with a cheery smile.

"Why the hell are you here?" Sasuke grit his teeth.

"I wanted to check up on you," Naruto answered, "And make sure you're not going to run away again."

"Why would I bother?" Sasuke rolled his eyes, "You'd chase me down again and bring me back."

"So you're not going to run?"

"Just get the hell out of my room," Sasuke turned on his side, away from Naruto. Naruto didn't move from his spot beside Sasuke's bed, "Sasuke, I'm trying to protect you. As long as Orochimaru is after you, your life will always be in danger. You know what I have to do. Tell me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm not an idiot, Sasuke. Stop acting like you don't know, because I know you do. When you act like you don't, it insults my intelligence," Naruto said calmly, "Tell me."

"Hinata," Sasuke murmured to himself. Naruto was surprised that this was what Sasuke would say first of all things, "What about her?"

"You're lucky to have her," Sasuke jealously frowned, "Of all the people, she chose you. You have someone who actually cares about you."

"You make it sound like you don't," Naruto pointed out carefully, unable to see Sasuke's face.

"Because I don't. Everyone who ever cared about me is dead," Sasuke said bitterly. That comment annoyed Naruto, but he took a deep breath to calm himself down and explained, "You do have people who care about you Sasuke. People who have always wanted to see you happy. All the girls in our academy class, Kakashi, Hinata-"

"They don't care about me," Sasuke said, "Not the way you or Hinata care about each other. Or the way your gang cares about you. I've heard them talking. They all talk like you're the greatest guy there is. I don't have any bond like that."

"That's because you're a jerk, Sasuke," Naruto retorted. Sasuke turned around and scowled, "Get out!"

"Just listen to me," Naruto said to Sasuke, "You don't have that kind of bond because you're a jerk. You keep everyone at a distance and can't be bothered to spend any time with someone if it doesn't help you. You want someone to care about you? Open your eyes! You have plenty of people who care about you! Spend some time with them! Get to know them better. Hell, Sakura wants to spend time with you."

Sasuke turned back again, looking out the window. He had the most humbled expression on his face before he looked away. He thought for a moment that he had struck a chord with Sasuke and that he had gone too far. If that was the case, he might not be able to get the information he needed.

"The Land of Rice," Sasuke said, "There's a complex about an hour's run from the border. It's marked by a snake head over a hidden entrance. That's what the Sound Four told me."

"Thank you Sasuke," Naruto nodded. He sat up and headed for the door, but stopped when he noticed daffodils sitting on Sasuke's bedside table, some looked fresh while others looked like they had been there for some time. He had to hold back a laugh, "Looks like Sakura's been visiting. You should ask if she'd like to grab some food together. She'd say yes in a heartbeat, y'know."

Naruto left to make arrangements for his plans.

...

Orochimaru sat up in his bed when the feeling of nausea finally over took him. He hacked harder than he ever had before, before finally the contents of his lunch from earlier that day flew out of his stomach. Despite the best efforts by his most capable team - the Sound Four - they were unable to retrieve Sasuke from the Hidden Leaf Village. Even with the assistance of Kimimaru, a star disciple who offered his body to Orochimaru but was incompatible due to some unknown disease, the mission failed. To his dismay, the entire team was killed in action. The truth of the assignment was to bring Uchiha Sasuke back to the Sound Village to be repurposed as Orochimaru's new body.

Many years ago, during his experiments to develop new jutsu, he had discovered a way to transfer his mind and soul from one body to another. The jutsu was flawed though. Over time, the host body would begin to reject Orochimaru's soul and would overcompensate in trying to remove the soul - leading to eventual death. This meant he had to transfer from one body to another regularly. After the Third Hokage removed his ability to use ninjutsu, and Tsunade refused to heal his deceased arms, the body started to reject his soul and became too painful to reside within. And so, Sasuke entered the picture as Orochimaru's ideal body. Without it, he was forced to choose from one of the many lack luster test subjects he kept in the prisons of the lower level of his hide out. Unfortunately, this new body didn't appear to be accepting of his soul at all. A few weeks in, and it was already starting to fail. He would have to change into a new body right away if he was going to survive.

"Lord Orochimaru, your afternoon tea is ready," one of his many followers said from beyond the threshold to his room.

"Yes, come in," Orochimaru said. The door opened to reveal an Oto nin holding a tray containing a pot of tea, a glass, and several bottles of medicine. The shinobi bowed and placed the tray on Orochimaru's bed side table, expertly offering the cup to Orochimaru, "M'lord."

"Thank you," Orochimaru nodded, sipping away at the tea. This nameless shinobi had been a very good assistant for the last few weeks, especially with Kabuto's sudden absence. He hadn't left or abandoned Orochimaru. He was too loyal to Orochimaru for that, not to mention that all of his belongings were still in his room. He couldn't have been busy because Kabuto was always ready to drop whatever he was doing to serve Orochimaru. So then why was he missing? He didn't know, but this shinobi had been very helpful in his absence.

And then Orochimaru felt it. A sudden stabbing sensation in his chest. His whole body burned like fire and his heart pounded as if it wanted to escape his body.

"My lord, are you alright?" the shinobi stood up, "What's wrong?"

"What is this?" Orochimaru asked himself aloud. It was too early for the body to be entering the final stages of death. He wouldn't need to transfer his soul for at least a few more weeks. Then it occurred to him, and the realization made his blood boil. He knew its effects well from experience, and the fact that he didn't notice only made him madder.

"You poisoned me," Orochimaru scowled, the ugly contortion of rage dressing his face. He grabbed the ninja by the neck and pulled him close, "If you don't give me the antidote, I'll be sure to bring you to hell with me!"

"Lord Orochimaru, I have no idea what you're talking about! This is just the same tea you always have," the shinobi explained between gasps for breath. Orochimaru tightened his grip, "And where did you acquire the tea?"

"From the tea shop!" the ninja gasped, "The one we always go to!"

"The tea keeper knows water jutsu," Orochimaru grit his teeth.

"Aargh!" the shinobi screamed as he slowly melted into a body of water.

"Water clone," Orochimaru muttered to himself, just as a spike of ice burst through his chest. Orochimaru crawled off his bed and started moving towards the door. He would be damned if he was going to die now. He still had so much he wanted to do, so much he had to accomplish!

For his parents.

Orochimaru felt more of his flesh tear as another spike of ice came out of his elbow. The pain was excruciating, but he still pushed on. Another spike shot out of his shoulder, just as he managed to reach up for the door. He wasn't going to die. Not here! Then he felt a resurgence of pain in his head. Something was coming. Something much worse. He let out a horrified scream, as one last intense moment of pain rammed its way through his head.

His subordinates heard the scream and came running, ready to protect and help their master if the need arose. They ran into his room without knocking and were horrified by their discovery.

...

It didn't take long for news of Orochimaru's death to spread, and this fact was met with joy across various countries. Sunagakure celebrated his death, since he was the main instigator of their conflict with Konoha and the one who murdered their former Kazekage - with elections ongoing to decide who would take the title of Fifth Kazekage. In Konoha, there was an air of relief. Naruto guessed this was because all the shinobi who died in the failed invasion had been avenged, especially the Third Hokage. The Land of Rice underwent a sudden revolt following Orochimaru's death. Gossip leaking out of the country suggested that Orochimaru's presence had corrupted the existing government and impoverished the land.

What caused everyone to celebrate also left them weary. Orochimaru's body had been found at the base of an ice sculpture that looked to be jutting out of his body. The sculpture took the shape of a seated fox staring downwards at Orochimaru's body with a pleased eye. At its feet, the ice came together to form words: 'So die, all who cross the Kitsune.'

It was the mystery that left people suspicious. The Kitsune Clan, a third level family in the Kuroihi Syndicate, managed to find Orochimaru before anyone else and killed the most wanted man alive in a brutal fashion. How they accomplished this would forever remain unknown and it scared people. It left them wondering just how far the arm of the Kitsune could reach. This renewed suspicion on the new Hokage and whether or not she was under the Kitsune's thumb. Lady Tsunade assured the villagers that she was not under the influence of any criminal organization, which calmed them to some degree but others wondered if the Kitsune had ordered her to say that.

Naruto laughed at that sentiment. He wasn't controlling Tsunade and she wasn't controlling him. They just had a mutual agreement to help each other out from time to time. Not that he would ever tell anyone that. The less people knew about the clan's operations, the better things would be for the clan.

It would be about two weeks after Orochimaru's death before Naruto asked Sai to come to the Kitsune Office. It was because of Sai's help that Naruto was able to successfully bring Sasuke back to the village - and Naruto was ready to thank him for it. The thing was, there was too much about Sai that Naruto simply couldn't trust. In that respect, he sent a message to Hashi-sensei asking for advice on the matter. Of all the things Hashi would do, Naruto didn't expect him to come walking through the front door. Naruto was ecstatic to see him and happily invited him into his office, "I gotta say Hashi-sensei, I didn't expect you to show up."

"You want me to go?" Hashi asked.

"Not on your life," Naruto said happily, "It's really great to see you, sensei."

"You too, Naruto," Hashi relaxed in a chair across from Naruto's desk, "Never thought I'd see this day; you sitting on that side of the desk while I give you advice on what to do."

"What are you talking about, sensei?" Naruto asked. Hashi waved his hands through the air and dismissed it, "We'll talk about it later. You said you needed help with this Sai, so what do you need help with?"

"Well that's just it," Naruto said, "He helped me with a little mess a while back—"

"You mean the Uchiha-kid running away, right?" Hashi asked curiously.

"Yeah, that was him," Naruto nodded, "I wanted to thank him for it, but I can't just say thanks. What he did deservers a little more than that. So, I considered letting him into the clan since it's pretty obvious he wants to join. Thing is, he has a lot of secrets. He doesn't want to talk about anything before he met Shinji, and what he does talk about doesn't make much sense. I even asked some of the guys to look into him and they couldn't find anything. I'm not even sure if Sai is his real name. What I do know is that he's skilled with ninjutsu and that leaves me asking: where did he learn to use it like that? He says his older brother taught him a few things, but what I saw was way more complicated than anything they teach at the academy."

"He sounds a lot like Scarecrow, only he's trying to make friends instead of killing us," Hashi recalled. Naruto remembered perfectly. It's hard to forget a ninja from your own village trying to kill you. And there lay the problem. How did Naruto know that Sai wasn't going to kill him? Hashi looked just as distressed by the matter and massaged his forehead to consider the matter, "With something like him, there's only one thing to do. Keep a close eye on him. Treat him like a good friend and stay vigilante. Wait for him to show his colors."

"What if he's trying to kill me?"

"He would have made an attempt by now. There are plenty of times when you have your guard down and he hasn't tried anything yet. My guess? He's after something else - information on the Kitsune, money, anything. So what can you do? Keep him close."

"Why not just kill him?" Naruto asked.

"Because he helped you and that would be rude," Hashi said matter-of-factly, "On the off chance he is after something, you'll want to know who he's working for: Konoha, some rogue ninja group, another clan, or if he's by himself. The only way you'll get that information is to keep him close. Otherwise they'll try again and be more careful about it."

"Okay," Naruto nodded, "I'll initiate him into the clan. That way, I'll have him close by all the time."

"Do you know how to initiate people into the clan?" Hashi-sensei asked. Naruto's face went red with embarrassment, "No."

"That's fine, I'll walk you through it," Hashi said.

After a week of memorization and some arrangements for sake, the preparations were complete. It was just a matter of Sai accepting Naruto's offer to join the clan. So, Naruto waited in his office going through more paperwork - his old enemy. He hoped Sai would show up soon, because he swore the words were dancing around the paper to mess with him. Naruto happily threw the paper aside when he heard knocking coming from his door, "Come in."

The door creaked open and Sai entered with a bow, "You asked to see me, Boss Kitsune?"

"Yeah, I did," Naruto motioned to the chair for Sai to sit, "It's been a while since you helped me retrieve Sasuke, and it occurred to me that I still haven't thanked you."

"If you're pleased, then that is thankful enough," Sai bowed. Sai's act was already starting to annoy Naruto, and Sai had just walked into the room. Naruto bit his lip and asked, "Listen. You told me that you wanted to prove that you could be useful to the Kitsune Clan. And you did. So I want to ask you a question: would you like to join the Kitsune?"

"What?" Sai's face lit up excitedly.

"I'm not repeating myself Sai."

"Yes, Boss Kitsune," Sai answered, "I'd be honored to join the Kitsune Clan."

This was exactly what Naruto wanted to hear. With a curt nod, he sat up and guided Sai out of the room, "Follow me. The ceremony is set up just down the hall."

"Ceremony?" Sai asked Naruto. The two of them continued down the hall past the kitchen into the private room where Yahiko had previously initiated Naruto into the clan. Hashi-sensei and Shinji were presiding in the room, resting his back against the wall and tucking several papers under his arm. Hashi waved at Sai as they walked into the room. As with Naruto's initiation, there was a table set in the middle of room with two glasses, a pitcher of sake, and two pillows for seats. Naruto kneeled down on his pillow against the back wall and Sai sat across from him. Sai looked around in amazed bewilderment around the room, until Naruto decided to get his attention with a cough. Then Naruto started the ceremony with a brief explanation of the Kuroihi, "I'm not sure what you've heard about the Kuroihi Syndicate, Sai. I can guarantee you that most of it are lies born from misunderstanding. A long time ago, there were clans of ronin and rorouni wandering the land in search of something they couldn't find: acceptance. There were many like them who didn't have the bonds of brotherhood as the clans did, but they were always welcomed into the clan with open arms. These outcast swordsmen became a family, with bonds stronger than any blood relation or love. They became blood brothers, reborn into the clan. And in that same way, I invite you: Sai – to be reborn as a member of the Kitsune Clan of the Sakurazaki Clan of the Kuroihi Syndicate."

Sai nodded as Naruto reached underneath the table for a scroll. He rolled it open and read aloud, "Do you, Sai, swear your full allegiance to the Kitsune, the Sakurazaki, and the Kuroihi?"

"Yes," Sai nodded.

"Do you agree to uphold the Law of the Three Families?"

"I will."

"Do you swear to live your life by the seven virtues?"

"Will you live a life of rectitude? To live a life entirely to the moral law of the Clan, placing them above all else. To follow commands without question, regardless of your own code or ethics?"

Sai hesitated for a moment before answering, "I will."

Naruto expected Sai to hesitate, and was now certain that Sai was loyal to someone else, "Will you reflect the strength of courage? Can you face your own demons and fears, at the command of your Oyabun? Are you willing to commit acts of wrong and of right, all at your Oyabun's leisure?"

"Yes."

"Will you be a benevolent force in this world, doing what is right and fearing to do wrong, as dictated by the law of the Three Families?"

"I will."

"Will you regard these principles highly, matched only by the demands and will of your Oyabun and, ultimately, the Chairman."

"I will."

"Do you swear to always speak the truth to everyone and anyone, without breaking the code of silence. Will you bite your tongue around the enemy and the authority. To speak honestly, without revealing knowledge of the clan?"

"I swear."

"Will you never forsake your honor as a person, your honor as a swordsman, and your honor as a brother of the Kitsune? To live a dutiful life to your Oyabun and no one else."

"I will."

"And finally, will you swear allegiance to no one else but your Oyabun. To offer yourself completely to his will? Loyal to your beliefs, your family and your friends second?"

"I will."

Naruto poured sake into both cups, making sure his has more than Sai's. He took a sip out of his cup while instructing Sai to do the same, "Drink."

Sai sniffed the liquid, took a sip and started coughing. Naruto poured the remainder of Sai's cup into his own, and then poured some back into Sai's cup. Naruto raised his cup, "Our forefathers used to mix their blood to prove their loyalty and brotherhood. Now, we use sake as a substitute. Please drink."

Sai raised the cup again to his mouth while Naruto answered, "Sai, I welcome you as a shatei of the Kuroihi and a member of the Kitsune."

Sai put a hand over his mouth and coughed - clearly trying to keep the sake from forcing its way back up. Naruto rose from his seat to pat Sai on the back, a welcome in to the arms of the Kitsune. Naruto had already arranged some work for Sai. The position wasn't too high in the organization - patrol duty. He considered letting Sai work the gambling, but Sai's less than warm personality might scare off regulars. Patrol was the best job for Sai. He wouldn't have to talk to people and he would be able to use his fighting skills effectively. He'd have to get Sai the right clothes and a tattoo first, though. That way, people would know he was a Kitsune. Upon further consideration though, he decided he'd let Shinji deal with it. Naruto didn't want to spend any more time with Sai than he already had.

Naruto and Hashi left the room while Shinji offered Sai congratulations for being accepted into the Kitsune. They returned to Naruto's office, where Naruto went to the window while Hashi took a seat, "He hesitated a little bit at the start of the ceremony."

"I noticed," Naruto affirmed. Sai would've act against them, that much was certain, "But I'll have most of the guys keeping an eye on him. If we're certain he's acting against us, we'll get him."

"Good," Hashi nodded.

"And I've taken care of all my work today! All that's left is dinner with Hinata tonight," Naruto said excitedly, kicking his feet up on his desk. Hashi mused to himself with a smile, "You've really changed since about a year ago..."

"What do you mean, sensei?" Naruto looked back at his sensei.

"Just admiring how much you've changed since we first met," Hashi pointed out, "Back then, you were just a scared kid hated by the village and with no one to look out for him. Call it cheesy, but you're quite the opposite now. You have the respect and admiration of your clan, a girlfriend, good friends, and you have the controlling interest in Konoha."

"You're embarrassing me, sensei," Naruto scratched the back of his head with a wide grin on his face. His face must have been bright red from how embarrassed he was.

"No, you deserve this praise," Hashi said, placing the papers he was holding on Naruto's desk, "I'm sure it's something your parents would love to hear."

"Sensei, I don't have parents," Naruto said, the smile slowly disappearing from his face. Hashi shook his head, "You have parents, Naruto. Which is what I came all this way to show you. I'm sorry if it seems like I invaded your privacy, but it was just something that bothered me for a long time."

Naruto's interest was piqued and he started examining the papers Hashi had left for him. If Hashi-sense was right, Naruto had parents. And he had a lot to talk to them about, most of which was a piece of his mind. For starters: where the hell were they his whole life?

Among the paperwork he found a birth certificate, some old mission files, death certificates, ninja profiles, and a will. Specifically, they were his birth certificates, and mission files from the day he was born. The death certificates and profiles were for a Namikaze Minato and an Uzumaki Kushina. When he read the name Uzumaki, Naruto instantly started reading the profile. It contained a picture of a beautiful red haired woman somewhere in her late twenties with what Naruto could only refer to as a shy but perfect smile. He recalled Chairman Kuroihi mentioning the name once, and something about the Land of Whirlpools.

As Naruto read, Hashi went on to explain, "Your parents, Naruto, were the Fourth Hokage and his wife. Namikaze Minato, also known as Konoha's Yellow Flash, and Uzumaki Kushina, the last known member of the Uzumaki Clan. This next part will be the hardest to hear. They both died the day you were born - the same day the Nine-Tailed Fox escaped."

Naruto didn't even look up from the paperwork when Hashi said this. Hearing that his parents were dead didn't leave as much of an impact on him as he thought. Then again, he never even knew them. They were strangers to him as far as he was concerned.

"No one was there when they died of course. All the coroners had to go off of is what they could figure out off the bodies. They believe your mother died from chakra exhaustion. The official record is that your mother was the previous bearer of the Nine-Tailed Fox, and the stress of childbirth weakened the seal on her just long enough for it to escape. Their guess is she used up the last of her chakra trying to protect herself and you. Your father. Well, I'm sure you know what happened to him."

"He died putting the fox inside me," Naruto said without skipping a beat, stating it like it was a casual fact. He was more astounded that he never concluded the Fourth was his father rather than the fact itself. The spiky blonde hair was a dead giveaway. How many shinobi did Naruto know had spiky blonde hair? Who else, but the Fourth! All the same, Naruto didn't care enough about it. The Fourth may be his blood father, but he had not been a father up to that point, the same to his mother.

"There's one other thing about your parents, Naruto," Hashi said, "It's about your father's will. If you'll notice, it's dated after his death. According to the record, it's because the Fourth left a message behind before his death. It was chakra based and buried beneath multiple layers of seals, so the intelligence division had a lot of difficulty getting to it. They were only able to get one part of the message: 'Naruto will need the fox's strength. War is coming'."

Naruto found the will and, as Hashi-sensei had told him, there it was. It was signed the day after the Fourth died, and the notes about the message were at the bottom. That last part was pretty vague though. 'Another war is coming'. What did that mean?

"The acting Hokage and other village elders at the time decided the best course of action would be to keep that message a secret," Hashi explained, "The world had just seen the end of one war, and Konoha didn't want to accidentally incite another one. It did cause a divide amongst the elders, though. Some of them felt that you had to be weaponized and become an instrument to destroy Konoha's enemies."

"Well I want to destroy something, does that count?" Naruto said with an evil smirk.

"Their plan didn't work, Naruto," Hashi pointed out, "Because the Third Hokage refused to let anyone, especially a newborn, become a weapon for war."

Hearing all of this information, especially about his parents, only served to frustrate Naruto. His dad thought he'd need the fox's power because another war was coming? What war! Orochimaru, the man who instigated most of the conflict in the last few months, was dead. Who else was left to disrupt the peace that was established?

"Why are you showing me this, sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Honesty, Naruto. I wanted to be completely honest with you about what I wanted to talk about next," Hashi explained. His voice was quiet and hesitant, as if gripped with uncertainty. He readjusted himself in his seat, "I said to you a long time ago that I wanted to be a ninja, just like you did—but I never told you why I became a yakuza instead."

Naruto leaned in closer as Hashi explained, "That's a half truth. I was a ninja, once. A chunin for the Hidden Leaf Village. I was married then with a wife and two kids. She was... wonderful, beautiful. I loved her more than anything in the world."

"So what happened to her?" Naruto asked, leaning in closely.

"The Nine-Tailed Fox happened," Hashi said quietly, "You see, she was the sister of the previous head of the Sakurazaki Clan. As a part of that, she had duties to fulfill for the clan. These duties... conflicted with the orders of the Leaf Ninja during the attack. In the confusion, she was killed by the fox."

"I'm sorry, sensei," Naruto said timidly, knowing these words probably wouldn't have any meaning with Hashi.

"The village refused to bury her or any of the other clansmen at the time with the rest of the dead. One of the higher-ups claimed yakuza didn't deserve to be buried with the villagers. I pleaded with the Hokage to at least return my wife's body to me so I could bury her, but the council had already decided to burn all the bodies and dispose of it in the forest. I became angry with the village. I hated them for what they'd done. So I retired from my duty as a shinobi, took my kids and went to live with my brother-in-law."

"Wait, two kids?" Naruto asked.

Hashi nodded somberly, "My son. He wanted to be a genin and was studying at the academy until the Nine-Tailed fox attack. I took him with me to my brother-in-law's. We were happy for a while. Until my brother-in-law became terminally ill. Eventually, leadership of the clan fell to me even though I didn't know anything about being leading a clan. Part of that involved arrangements to protect the only child of an important associate of the Sakurazaki. This child... had assassins coming for him regularly. One day, an assassin attacked while he was away from his bodyguards. My son was good friends with the kid at the time, so he went to protect the kid when he found out. He saved the kid, but he and the assassin killed each other."

"Oh..." Naruto frowned. Hashi shook his head and ran a hand through his graying hair, "I spent years blaming myself for it. What if I had been able to save my son? Why did I let that kid go off on his own without his guards? What if I had assigned more competent guards to protecting the kid?"

Hashi trailed off at that point. He reclined in his chair and gazed up at the ceiling. Naruto hated to admit it, but he had never seen Hashi like this. Hashi-sensei always stood tall, with an air of respect and certainty that made him unbreakable. Yet, the mere thought of his son had pierced his heart and brought mist to his eyes. Hashi didn't sob though. He straightened himself up and swallowed a lump in his throat, clearly trying to maintain a calm attitude.

Then a smile drew itself on his face, "And then you came into my life. Just showed up at the end of an alley, ready to get beat up by some drunkard. It was like seeing a ghost."

Hashi reached into his coat pocket and retrieved a photograph that he passed to Naruto. Naruto looked at the small picture and found himself mystified by its contents. Standing in the center of the frame was a younger Hashi with shorter hair beside a young tan woman with light brown hair and hazel eyes. Before them were two kids. The first was definitely a younger Hana with shoulder length hair and pretty wide eyes. The other was Naruto.

He blinked again, just to be sure he wasn't seeing things. The boy he was looking at was definitely himself. Or at least someone who looked like him, only without the whisker marks on his cheeks and the scar on his face. This had to be a joke. A sick twisted joke on Hashi's part.

"I know what you're thinking," Hashi said, "Believe me, I didn't want to believe it at first. But I wasn't the only one who saw the similarities. You look just like him. In some ways, you are him."

"This isn't funny sensei," Naruto put the photograph on the desk, "I'm not laughing."

"I'm not joking," Hashi said, "I run into and help people in the village all the time. You were the first one that I took a special interest in - I practically let you into my home, took special steps to protect you when you were in danger, even going far enough to kill if it meant you'd stay safe. But I was being selfish, Naruto. I took care of you because I thought you might be another chance for me to raise my son. As far as I was concerned, you were my son. You were... Saru. But that wasn't fair for you, because no matter how badly I wanted it - you never were going to be Saru."

Hashi paused for a moment, which Naruto used to let everything he'd heard sink in. The only reason Hashi had been so nice to him was because he looked like Hashi's deceased son. Hashi was right. That wasn't fair. He was not going to replace anyone's son.

"Which is why I'm telling you all this," Hashi said, "It's my way of saying I'm sorry. If you want, I'll leave you alone and you won't hear from me again. I'll talk to Chairman Kuroihi to put you under someone else and that'll be it. Or... if it's alright with you, I'd like to adopt you."

Naruto sat dumbfounded in his chair. The torrent of emotions running through him made it impossible to tell how he felt. He was angry, sad, and uncertain. Hashi took him in and only really cared because he looked like his son. He thought Hashi actually cared for him, but he only cared because he looked like his son. It depressed him. It angered him. But he couldn't be mad at Hashi-sensei after all his help. Even if it was only for a memory, he cared for Naruto. He helped him.

Besides which, Naruto hadn't been entirely honest with Hashi. Yahiko had committed sepukku and Naruto just covered up his death to masquerade as him for a while.

And then there was the code to consider. Hashi is Naruto's Oyabun, so he had to be respectful to him no matter what. As part of that oath, he had to be completely loyal to Hashi no matter what. Naruto was conflicted. He massaged his temples and tried to make sense about how to react. It troubled him more when he realized giving the order to kill a man came easier than a decision like this. What was wrong with him? Why did today have to become so complicated? He just wanted to go to dinner with Hinata!

Hashi must've sensed Naruto's hesitation and stated, "I'll give you some time to think it over-"

"No, sensei... I'll, um... give you an answer now," Naruto said, hesitating on what words to say. Against his better, he decided to just say everything he was thinking - hoping that maybe thinking aloud would help him reach some kind of conclusion, "I... I'm not your son. I will never be him. But these people... the Fourth and this Kushina lady... I don't know them. You said they're my parents, but I don't know anything about them. They're dead and that's all I care. But you sensei... even if you aren't my dad, you were more of one for me than most other people in the village. I can only think of two who actually gave a damn before I met you. One's dead, and I haven't spoken to the other one in a while. Compared to them, you've been more of a parent to me in a shorter amount of time."

Naruto paused after that, trying to think of what to say next, "Even if you only took me in because I looked like your son... you were still nicer to me than anybody else I knew back then. Heck, I'm better off now than I could've been if I hadn't met you. You even dug up information on my parents. I'm not... mad about all this. I'm hurt... but I'm not mad."

"And after everything that's happened-," Naruto stopped himself because he realized the next words out of his mouth were going to be embarrassing. At the same time, part of him wanted to say it anyway. Even if it was cheesy.

"You might as well be my father, sensei," Naruto said flat out, with a sheepish smile, "But I don't want a piece of paper to tell me who my family is. I don't need a piece of paper to decide that for me. You're the one who taught me that. Being in a clan... in a Ninkyo Dantai means being in family."

Hashi returned Naruto's smile and started laughing under his breath. He couldn't tell if Hashi was laughing at him, but it was certainly a joyful laugh - the kind one heard after being relieved of a dreadful circumstance. Hashi ran a hand through the blonde's head, "You've become a good leader, Naruto. A true yakuza."

"Thank you. For everything," Naruto nodded.

Hashi departed back to his own operations shortly afterwards, leaving Naruto free for his date with Hinata. He went to pick her up around six and took her to a nice meal at the local restaurant followed by a trip to the local park. It was simple, and it would give them much needed quality time. He had been far too busy with work - especially the planning for Orochimaru's assassination. After all that happened, he just wanted to take his mind off things and relax. Even if the Fourth Hokage's will had mentioned a coming war, Naruto wasn't going to think about it. For now, things were at peace and Naruto was content with that.

It went well, although Hinata did keep asking about why she hadn't seen him in a while. Naruto kept changing the discussion away from that topic, reminding her that he didn't want to tell her about business. All the same Hinata would bring up the issue, especially with news flying around that Orochimaru had been killed by the Kitsune Clan. This Naruto couldn't deny and so he was forced to confess, "Yeah. That was me. The Kuroihi wanted Orochimaru dead for trying to incite another war. That's the price he paid for threatening the peace, endangering lives, taking others, and costing lots of money. And that's all I want to say about it."

...

"You make it sound like it was nothing to you," Hinata noted quietly, seeing Naruto's tired eyes from across the table. Naruto shrugged and continued eating his food, "Let's just enjoy our food."

Hinata went back to her food, intimidated by Naruto. She knew that part of his clan leadership required killing others - but most of them were criminal low lives and none of them were famous shinobi. Hearing that he was the one responsible for killing Orochimaru - that he had been responsible somehow for his brutal murder and that he had done it from behind a desk - scared her. She didn't care about Orochimaru dying. He had been in the bingo book for a long time. 'Kill on Sight' as it was. But it was a high profile death - someone everyone knew and that everyone wanted dead. And Naruto was the one who did it.

It just kept coming back in her mind and it made her uneasy. She loved Naruto for what he was - a confident, if cocky, little boy in the academy with her who never backed down from a challenge and always shouted that he would be greater than all the previous Hokage. He wasn't a far cry from that, though he no longer went on about being Hokage. He was still always ready to help others when they needed it and always had a generally cheery disposition, but now he more readily killed other people without batting an eye. And that part scared her. She worried about what all the killing might do to him. What it would eventually do to him. That one day, he would be just as insane as the psychopathic Orochimaru and just as destructive. By being able to get to Orochimaru, he already proved he was more powerful than the Hokage - but how much more was he capable of?

"You're still thinking about it, aren't you?" Naruto asked, setting down his chopsticks and looking up at her blankly. Hinata nodded, "I'm worried about all the killing, Naruto. It didn't bother me before... but Orochimaru - he's a different case entirely. The other people were... criminals, thugs, and bandits. But him. He was the most wanted man. The one nobody could find, and you got to him."

"Yeah, that's what I told you," Naruto nodded.

"Doesn't it bother you?" Hinata asked, "Sometimes I think you're more powerful and more dangerous than you realize."

"That's because I'm not, Hinata," Naruto answered with a wide grin - a different smile from the one she fell in love with. It seemed reassuring at first glance, but Hinata knew well enough that this was not his genuine smile. It was a fake smile, which adorned his face as he said, "Those are all stories. I can't do everything, even though people say otherwise. I only found out where Orochimaru was hiding because I asked Sasuke for that information."

"I'm just scared... about what this'll do to you. About what being in the Kuroihi will do to you," Hinata said, hoping Naruto would understand. Naruto's smile slowly faded into a grimace, and he slumped over the chair, "I know. I wonder about that, sometimes. I've ordered so many people to die since I took over the Clan. I wish I didn't have to, but leaving them alive would be the worse since it meant they would endanger other people. But sometimes... they didn't deserve it at all. It was just orders."

Naruto went silent after that. Hinata must have struck a chord, because his eyes were full of regret and sadness. He looked like he was trying to hold it back, but it seemed like it was on the verge of breaking through. She put a hand on his, "What happened?"

Naruto looked up at her and shook his head, "Business."

Hinata frowned and let the subject end there. Naruto definitely didn't want to talk about it and she wasn't going to push it any farther. But some of her concerns were put to rest, because at least now she knew that he still had some doubt about what he was doing - that the notion of death still bothered him. It was enough for her and she decided it would be best to enjoy the rest of the date.

And it was joyful. He took her to the park where they watched the sun set over the horizon before he finally walked her back to her house. They cut through the Market District, since it was the fastest way back to the Hyuuga Manor. Along the way, they passed several shop keepers and shoppers who bowed at Naruto's presence. One kind old man went right up to Naruto and bowed upon seeing him, "Thank you."

Naruto returned the bow and bid the man have a good evening. It continued in this manner the whole way through the Market District, with a few villagers occasionally disappearing into stores as soon as Naruto was in sight. She told herself that these were people who were showing respect to Naruto as the head of his clan. Then they passed two men in black suits walking by but they stopped to bow down to Naruto, "Boss Kitsune."

"Hey," Naruto waved to them. Their path took them right by the Kitsune Office where one of Naruto's clansmen was busy waiting. He ran right up to Naruto and bowed, "Oyabun. Something came up that needs your immediate attention."

"Can this wait, Shinji? I'm...on a date right now," Naruto said matter-of-factly. Shinji shook his head, "No, Oyabun. He said it was important that he see you, right away."

"Who was it?" Naruto asked. Shinji shrugged, "He wouldn't say, but we have him waiting in your office."

Naruto groaned at the development and asked Hinata, "Do you mind walking home by yourself?"

"It's alright," Hinata said, "I'll just wait inside."

"I don't want to hold you up," Naruto reasoned, "Otherwise your dad will kill me. I'm pretty sure he's just looking for an excuse now."

"I don't mind waiting, Naruto," Hinata smiled shyly, "It's nothing really."

Hinata had no intention of letting Naruto go to his business in secret. Part of her still wanted to know what his business was, and she intended to find out even if he didn't want to tell her. Naruto quietly agreed and they went inside. Hinata took a seat in the lounge while Naruto and Shinji disappeared into the back. The waiting room was lined with arm chairs all around. On the far side of the lounge was a desk with small stacks of papers neatly filed together, which a secretary quietly organized into boxes marked - 'In', 'Out', 'Reprocess', 'Chairman'. A guard stood by the door, keeping Hinata from going into the back. Thinking quickly, she came up with an excuse to go into the back, "Could I trouble you for some tea?"

The guard examined her carefully, much to her discomfort, but agreed to let her into the back. He guided her down a long, brightly lit hallway with doors on both sides; one leading to a bathroom, another into a kitchen, one led into a large empty room, and the last one led into an office. She noticed the door to the office was slightly ajar as they passed. Once they were in the kitchen, Hinata quietly activated her byakugan to catch a glimpse inside his office. She discovered Naruto leaning against his desk, with Shinji standing against the door. In the room with them was a dark haired man in a black cloak with red cloud markings on it.

"I wanted to thank you personally, for bringing Sasuke back to the village," the man said blankly.

"You're welcome," Naruto said, "But you could've just sent a note. Coming in person, I get the feeling you're here for another reason."

"I am," the man said, "My associates-"

"The ones you're protecting me from."

"-wanted to thank you for taking care of Orochimaru for them. He'd been a thorn in their side for some time and you helped move him out of the way."

"So, what? Are they going to give a few more hours to live before they do whatever it is they're going to do?"

"Try years. As in three years," the man said blankly, "I... persuaded them to give you that much."

"How generous," Naruto answered sarcastically. The man nodded, "Yes. Before I go, I have one question: what are you going to do until then? You've been three years until my associates make a move against you again. I hope you'll use that time to prepare."

"If they want to come for me, then let them. Because I'm not afraid of them or what they think they can do to me," Naruto stated clearly,

"It's not what they'll do to you that you should be afraid of," the man corrected, "It's what they'll do to the people you care for."

"My responsibility as the head of the Kitsune Clan is to protect my clan, our associates, and the people most important to me," Naruto growled, dressing his face with a dangerous expression, "What makes them think they'll get close enough to lay a finger on my clan, my friends, or my girlfriend?"

"A good answer," the man bowed, "Good luck, Chairman Kitsune."

He disappeared into a cloud of smoke, and Hinata went back to wait in the lounge. She deactivated her byakugan just as the guard came back with a cup of tea, "Your tea, Lady Hyuuga."

"Oh... um... thank you," Hinata took the tea happily. Naruto popped his head through the door framed, "Hey, Hinata?"

"Hmm?" Hinata sipped at her tea and spun around to see him. He shot her an apologetic smile, "Sorry about that. Business."

"It's fine," Hinata smiled back, nervously. Naruto took her hand, and led her out into the village. She had no idea what most of the discussion meant, but what she heard unnerved her. Naruto would protect everyone he cared for - just like the Naruto she fell in love with. But it sounded like he had made a deal with some horrible people - people who planned on killing the ones he cared for to get to him. The streets were dark when they got outside, and the street lights lit the way back home. She couldn't wait to get there, away from Naruto's business. Things weren't perfect as they were, but Naruto loved her and he would protect her from any danger that dared to come near her. That would content her for her time with Naruto, but she feared what lay ahead, knowing there was something that dared to challenge Naruto - the one who killed Orochimaru. She knew hell lay ahead... and she had to prepare herself for when it came.

...

**Author's Note:** That's all folks! My final update. I will be uploading an Author's Afterword in four weeks on Friday, August 24th to discuss the creation process and production of Oyabun. If you have any questions that you would like answered, ask in the reviews section and I will happily answer it there.

Before I go, I have a few things I want to mention: I originally designed this story with loose ends so that I would have something to come back to if I ever wanted to write the sequel. Yes, I had a sequel in mind in case enough people demanded a continuation. I'll go more into that in the afterword. For now, just send me your thoughts and questions, and I'll respond in the afterword.

If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Or add me on Facebook (see my profile), Twitter (leofib11235), the PlayStation Network (PSN ID leo112358). However, please let me know that you read these stories because I tend to ignore invites from random people I don't know. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out for the last time.


	51. Author's Afterword

**Disclaimer**: Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as an animated series by Viz Media. The Art of War is a widely published text originally written Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Brotherhood, the Kaki Alliance, the Shirotsuki Clan, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi Ryouke, Kuroihi Yamato, Kasen Eiji, Yagami Shinji, Utawa Miji, Doragon Gan, and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

**Oyabun**

**(An Older Brother)**

**Author's Afterword**

Hey folks, my name is leonardo1123581321 and I wrote Oyabun. The last five years I've spent writing Oyabun have been wonderful and this story has seen some joyful development since its initial inception. Many of you out there have been with me from the beginning and I want to thank you all for coming this far with me. Others joined along the way and you were just as welcome as those from the beginning. Others left and I was sad to see a few of them go, since they provided good input. Others just trolled from the beginning and I learned to ignore them/laugh in their face. Regardless of that, many of you asked the same question: what inspired this story?

**The Inspiration**

The main inspiration of this story is Mario Puzo's The Sicilian, a spin-off to his famous The Godfather novel, which focused on historical figure Salvatore Guilliano and the folklore surrounding his ventures around post-World War II Sicily. While the novel was mostly fictional, Salvatore Guilliano was a real historical figure famous for the chaos he caused on the little island by resisting both the Italian government and the local mafia chieftain. This led to his rise to infamy until a joint effort between the mafia and the Italian government to smear his name. After successfully framing him for slaughtering a communist rally, Salvatore lost the support of the Sicilian people. Even though he would continue his Robin Hood-esque escapades, he would never win back the hearts of the Italian people. With his support dwindling and increased attempts on his life, Salvatore was forced to seek refuge in America with the assistance of Don Corleone. This proved to be a fatal mistake, as Don Corleone sold out Salvatore to the local mafia in order to secure the safe return of his son, Michael Corleone, to America. He also used this to teach Michael his first lesson about 'Cosa Nostra' - 'It is better to be alive and living a fruitful life, than to die a hero'. This is, of course, what inspired me to write Oyabun.

Of course, that only inspired me. The main plot draws heavily from two sources: The Godfather by Mario Puzo and Confessions of a Yakuza by Junichi Saga. Both of these stories are gang-centric and focused on the development of a main character from a weary outsider to the boss of a criminal empire. Both of these stories were excellent - and I regularly go back to them when I want to read something thought provoking. There's always something in the story I missed the last time I read it and it changes my perspective on the whole thing.

But I also drew from some other sources as well while writing this story. For characterization purposes, I drew from Kazuo Tenma in Monster, the real life stories of Al Capone and Eiji Ijichi, the ruthlessness of Michael Corleone in the Godfather, Niko Bellic's internal struggles in Grand Theft Auto IV, and Kazuma Kiryu's determination in Yakuza. For describing atmosphere and moods, I drew from the worlds of Grand Theft Auto Vice City Stories, Goodfellas, Kino's Journey, The Little Prince, and the Sopranos.

**Research**

Of course, it's hard to explain how there can be powerful crime organizations in the shinobi universe. The Naruto-verse has a bizarre legal system compared to the contemporary world, given their society is based on a more feudal Japan as opposed to a modern one. And this universe, shinobi seem pretty much entitled to kill a criminal on sight for simply being a criminal. Coupled with my limited knowledge of the Yakuza, I was pushed to look into everything I could find. I spent about six months focused on researching the Japanese Mafia - their power structure, rituals and ceremonies, relationships between different groups, their business practices and investments, etc.

What I found surprised me and I could go on about it. To spare you, I'll condense it to a few quick highlights. As I've said before, the Yakuza are by no means a secret society. They operate openly and rarely exercise subtlety in their activities because the Japanese government recognizes them as semi-legitimate operations for a variety of reasons. First, the Yakuza are better at exercising control in some regions of Japan than the national police. This is because of the reluctance of some communities to seek help from the police - red light districts, slums, districts inhabited by minorities, and shopping districts. Another reason, is the crime rate in Yakuza controlled communities. As an example - there is the city of Kobe, Japan. Kobe has arguably the lowest crime rate in all of Japan compared to cities of Tokyo, Kyoto, etc. This is due to petty criminals such as robbers and muggers being fearful of yakuza retaliation compared to anything the Japanese legal system can do.

Second, Yakuza groups are known for their philanthropic efforts - such as the aid they provided during the recent tsunami and nuclear reactor meltdown. They also provided aide during the 1995 Kobe earthquake, such as providing food, shelter, and medical care to the victims. When compared to the slower response of the Japanese government, it's not hard to see why some people fight efforts to remove Yakuza from their communities.

I also learned they have a large membership, somewhere in excess of 100,000 in Japan alone. Considering that many Yakuza are international operations, the known numbers may just be the tip of the iceberg. In addition a lot of infighting occurs because of the nature of their complex organizational structure. To sum it up: it's messy. Sometimes the infighting is for leadership succession, other times its because the fighting gangs don't know they belong to the same organization. At times, Yakuza groups will even merge together which only further muddles who's in charge of who. For Oyabun, I presented a very simplified and organized group which I kept charted. I posted a simplified chart on my deviantart account under the same name (leonardo1123581321). This leads me to another point:

**Yakuza**

The Original Characters or OCs that I created for this story were from another story. An original story I was planning titled Yakuza: Brothers. A few of the characters appeared in Oyabun - such as Momiji Hashi, Sakurazaki Hana, Sora Keitaro, Kuroihi Ryouke, Kuroihi Yamato, Eiji Kasen, Dewaya Yahiko, Momiji Kuroihi, and many others. Even the Four Syndicates: The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicate, the Kaki Brotherhood, and the Shirotsuki Family - were all originally planned to be for my independent novel. I don't want to give away too much about Yakuza: Brothers, because I started Oyabun for a reason. I wanted to take the characters I'd established and see if they'd be any good in a story setting. What I found is that many of them worked but a few had to be reworked because they were just too boring. Now that I have this knowledge, I can go ahead and start writing Yakuza: Brothers for submission to a publisher.

**Outlining Oyabun**

Which leads me to a point. Oyabun's main story was mostly outlined from beginning to end - which wasn't entirely difficult given that I was just reworking Masashi Kishimoto's timeline for Naruto. I did leave enough room so I could make changes and adjustments as I needed, but the backbone of the story was always there. These included the decision to give Naruto a pairing in the story, which I left up to the readers since I wanted to let majority choice be the deciding factor. Remember, you don't get to complain if you didn't vote. It cost me a few readers, and got me just as many as I lost. It was a polarizing move, but I went with it for my own personal reasons. To this day, it's not a choice I regret since their romance took a back seat to the main focus - Naruto's development as a gangster. I just had to come up with an excuse for Naruto to want to be a gangster. The solution? The Yakuza follow a largely outsider mentally - some believe that they are outcasts in Japanese society. Naruto is an outsider to Konoha society, but would know to be weary and avoid Yakuza. So, why not have a yakuza save him from a villager calling him an outsider? The story pretty much wrote itself from there - although I did make a few tweaks to explore some unseen ground. These included:

-Haku hinted at Naruto in the beginning of the series that they could've been good friends if life had played out different.

-Naruto's relationship with Gamabunta (Chief Toad) was initially represented as one of oyabun and kobun in the show and manga - implying the toads had a yakuza style structure.

-Kakashi's relationship with Naruto since he suggests he knows that Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage.

-How Naruto would see the ninja world from the perspective of someone who isn't a ninja.

**A Gray Narutoverse**

Up to this point in the Naruto manga and anime, the world had only been seen from eyes of the shinobi. There was very little of it viewing the world from someone who wasn't a ninja. Oyabun was in a unique position to show that world from the eyes of someone who wasn't inclined to follow a strict moral code and view everyone from another village as a threat. With Naruto a wanted criminal by the Leaf Village, he pretty much lost any reason to care for it or its shinobi practices. This in mind, he began to see the world in a completely different light - where the boundaries of what could be considered good and what could be considered evil no longer existed.

One thing I really want to emphasize right now - this story has never been about an evil Naruto. Naruto isn't evil in this story. He never has been nor will he. He simply became another person trying to survive in a dog eat dog world. In this circumstance, nothing becomes black and white - nothing is strictly good, nothing is strictly bad. Everything is just a different shade of gray. If you don't believe me, go back and reread the story. If ytheft get about their violent feuds, the Kitsune becomes a largely philanthropic business organization with strong family values.

**Abandoned Plot Lines**

Some ideas became more fleshed out than others, and some were never explored at all. There were some things I ultimately decided to drop, because I felt they would prolong the story or were just too over the top to include. These include but are not limited to:

-Naruto was originally going to stay in the Land of Waves as the head of the Kuroihi branch there. I dropped it because it would exclude him from the canon plot of Naruto, and I needed him back in Konoha for the chunin exams.

-There was originally going to be a sub plot about Naruto developing a smoking habit to cope with all the stress that comes with being in a yakuza. I dropped this in favor of letting the guilt trouble him and act as something of a motivator to make him improve himself so he wouldn't have to do terrible things.

-The subplot following Naruto's descent into insanity was supposed to last a little longer, with Naruto's mind reaching a breaking point after he killed Oboro in front of his grandson. He would become more erratic and hostile to people in the village and in the clan, as he lost his ability to distinguish reality from whatever illusions the fox filled his head with. I changed it to Naruto regaining some control of his sanity after Haku makes amends and the two become friends again, since not even the yakuza would be able to protect a madman from the village shinobi.

-I originally planned for Naruto to make amends with Hakuoro and Miji for killing Oboro, apologizing for what he did and swearing he would do whatever it would take to make it right. Hakuoro reluctantly forgives Naruto but Miji explains that nothing he can do will ever make it right, but that he can start by helping make sure Hakuoro is taken care of - a place to live, food to eat, clothes to wear, hot water for showers, school for education, employment, etc. I dropped it so that I would have something I could go back to if I ever wrote a story.

-During the Chunin Exam, I planned for Naruto and the Kitsune Clan to provide security for some foreign celebrity who would be performing in town at the time. I won't say who it was supposed to be for copyright reasons, but they would perform 'In the Air Tonight'. Their performance would draw attention from some unwanted debt collectors who would send assassin's after them. In the end, this wasn't included simply because it would tie the story too much to the real world which I didn't want to do.

-Also during the Chunin Exam, there was supposed to be a subplot about illegal horse races through the streets of Konoha. This was dropped for obvious reasons.

-Hinata and Sasuke were originally going to have a moment to discuss their relationship after the Chunin Exams. Sasuke would discuss his conflicting feelings for Hinata - whether as a rival because she's someone who can compete with her, or as a love interest because she's perhaps the only female he's gotten close to. However, he didn't want this to affect their friendship. Hinata would admit she likes him as a comrade and teammate, but that she likes someone else and to forgive her for it. This became the condensed discussion before Sasuke's defection due to time constraints.

-The wedding was originally going to get its own plot line. Keitaro would duel Hashi for the right to marry Hana. Naruto would be invited along with two guests of his choice: Haku as his guard and Hinata as his date. During the love song where Keitaro and Hana kiss, Naruto and Hinata would have their own kiss. I dropped this plot line because it would advance their relationship too quickly and there was no way I could justify Naruto bringing Hinata as a date when he was still unsure of how he felt about her.

-Naruto originally found out Jiraiya was his godfather and it would upset Naruto. He would demand to know why Jiraiya was never around when he was growing up and then show disgust that his parents would choose a pervert to be his godfather, further distancing himself from whomever his parents were. It was too early in the story to introduce this fact because Naruto had never given any thought to his parents before, and I wanted to save that subject for when he discusses adoption with Hashi.

-Naruto's first date with Hinata wasn't going to be trashed by Sakura and Ino. It was actually going to go well. This version turned out to be very boring - so I threw in the dynamic duo of Sakura and Ino to make it a bit more interesting.

-I was originally going to make Hinata's relationship with Naruto a bit more of a scandal. Hinata's father and Tsunade would ask Hinata to use her relationship with Naruto to spy on him, with the hope of finding leverage they could use against the Kitsune Clan. As time would go on, she would grow more sympathetic for the Kitsune and begin to work as a double agent - trading information between the Kitsune and the village. This plot point proved useless since Naruto would never let her get involved with the clan, and she would never think to betray her village anyway. This role was readjusted for Sai, who's job was to infiltrate the Kitsune for Root/the Foundation/whatever Danzou's group is called.

-All the members of the rescue team would be saved by Naruto in some way or another, indebting their clans to the Kitsune. Time constraints prevented me from making this a part of the plot, and I'd be wasting whole chapters just to have him save each character one after another. It'd be too repetitive, and condensing it would make it appear rushed. Plus, the more I thought about it, the more I realized the Kitsune already had too much control over Konoha. So I dropped this plot point all together.

-Sasuke's argument with Naruto during his defection was originally going to be longer, with a section on how he deserved Hinata more than Naruto - because they were on the same team, had experiences that Naruto didn't have, were both shinobi, etc. I dropped this because I think I'd done enough to make Sasuke a whiny jerk and I wanted to make him more sympathetic at the time. Plus, Hinata being a motivation for Sasuke's betrayal just seemed too...much.

-Haku would've killed Kabuto to get to Orochimaru. However, I cut this section out for pacing issues and to give me more room for a sequel if I wanted one.

-Hashi's recollection of his son's (Saru) death would've been told in a flashback. A thirteen year old Saru and an eight year old Hana would be playing together outside of town when they noticed that their friend had gone missing. They knew their friend was being protected by Hashi as part of a deal with another gang, so Saru goes out looking for him while Hana goes to tell their father. Saru would find his friend hiding from an assassin. Saru and his friend try to run but the assassin catches them before they get back to Hashi's manor. Saru stays behind to fight off the assassin while his friend runs back to the manor, since he's only nine and doesn't know how to fight. Saru would be mortally injured fighting the assassin just as Hashi arrived with some clansmen. The assassin is slain, while Hashi and his friend rush to Saru's side. His friend apologizes deeply for causing this trouble and weeps openly over Saru. Saru forgives him and says he wouldn't have risked his life for someone he didn't care about. He then asks his friend to look after his sister and father for him. With his last breath he says he will always be his friend. At this point, it is revealed his friend's name is Keitaro. Ultimately, this was cut because I wanted the final chapter to focus on Naruto - not my OC.

-There would've been another Oyabun tie-in for the Naruto movies titled "Oyabun: Revolution in the Crescent Moon Kingdom". This one would've been set in the third movie and would follow Naruto's trip to the Crescent Moon Kingdom to negotiate rights to opening a hotel/casino owned by the Kuroihi but managed by Haku who was being allowed to start his own clan. They would've arrived to find the capitol city abandoned except for a few soldiers serving the prime minister. Naruto would begin negotiating with him, guaranteeing him a slice of the profits if the Kuroihi were allowed to operate their hotel freely. The negotiation falls apart and they later learn that the prime minister has deposed of the king to seize the country. Since a revolution and change in government would just make the process messier, Naruto and Haku find the local resistance who are working to restore the crown prince and his son. Through some subterfuge and careful reconnaissance, Haku takes out enough sentries for the resistance's main army to attack the castle. After a lengthy battle, the crown prince would slay the prime minister and reclaim the throne. After the affair is sorted out, Naruto and Haku finalize the paperwork with the newly crowned king. Haku is allowed to start his clan's venture as operator of a hotel and member of the Royal Guard.

**Thanks to my Editors**

A practice I started while writing Oyabun was to ask a friend of mine to edit the stories before I posted them on the site. Initially, I recruited a close friend I could trust with ensuring the grammar and maintaining the continuity of the story. Unfortunately, this also became impractical because she left the University so she could study closer to home - and we fell out of contact.

I spent the next several chapters handling all the editing personally for each chapter until I could find another editor. Around this time, i ran into an old friend I hadn't seen in a while who agreed to edit Oyabun for me. She stuck with me for the rest of Oyabun and I've been grateful to her for helping me since. To my editors, past and present, thank you.

**Music Playlist**

While I was writing the story, I had a music playlist I listened to which help me stay focused on whatever subject I was focusing on at the time. As with all of my fanfictions, I tried to pick a specific song that would act as a theme I would listen to every time I started another chapter. There were a lot of songs I listened to at the time, but I eventually settled on 'Grain' from the anime series Monster. It's a fun anime about a doctor trying to clear his name by catching the murderous psychopath whose life he saved several years earlier. And, yes, I do have a playlist that I listen to when writing Oyabun. With Oyabun done, I no longer have any need to keep this playlist to myself. So, for the first time, I would like to share this playlist with you dear readers. Keep in mind, the playlist changed over the course of writing - so a lot of the original songs aren't listed and I have forgotten what they were but here's what I have:

'Grain' - Kuniaki Haishima - Monster Original Soundtrack from the Anime - 1:28 (Used for Every Chapter)

'Wind' - Yoshio Akeboshi - Akeboshi - 3:41 (Used for Naruto from the Beginning through the Land of Waves)

'Love Theme from the Godfather' - Nino Rota - The Godfather Trilogy Soundtrack - 2:45 (Used for scenes with Hashi)

'Kay' - Nino Rota - The Godfather Trilogy Soundtrack - 2:44 (Used for scenes with Hinata)

'O Mio Babbino Caro' - Maria Callas - La Divina - 2:07 (Used for romance scenes with Hana and Keitaro)

'Nine Tail Demon Fox' - Toshio Masuda - Naruto Original Soundtrack - 1:38 - (Used for the Nine Tailed Fox throughout the story)

'Loneliness' - Toshio Masuda - Naruto Original Soundtrack - 2:06 - (Used for the Land of Waves)

'A Dark March' - Danger Mouse - Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories Soundtrack - 1:32 - (Used for Gatou and the Gatou Corp)

'Mass Destruction' - Masashi Meguro - Persona 3 Soundtrack - 3:28 (Used for fight scenes in the Land of Waves)

'The Baptism' - Nino Rota - The Godfather Soundtrack - 1:53 - (Used for every scene where Naruto orchestrates the destruction of rival clans)

'the World' - Nightmare - Death Note Original Soundtrack - 3:45 - (Used for Naruto from Return to Konoha to Leading the Kitsune Clan)

'Subete no Hito no Tamashii no Shi' - Meguro Shoji - Persona 3 Portable Soundtrack - 5:38 - (Used for the Kuroihi Syndicate)

'Kuro I Izuato No Buru-Su' - Crazy Ken Band - Galaxy - 4:00 - (Used for scenes with the Dewaya Clan and Yahiko)

'Chinatown Wars' - Ghostface Killah - Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars - 3:39 - (Used for the Konoha Branch of the Enkou Clan)

'That Certain Female' - Charlie Feathers - Kill Bill Volume I Soundtrack - 3:01 - (Used for any scene where Jiraiya chases tail...which is every scene)

'Real Emotion' - Sweetbox - Final Fantasy X-2 Soundtrack - 4:03 - (Used for the club scene where Kabuto suicide bombs Naruto, and any party scene in general)

'Push it to the Limit' - Paul Engeman - Scarface Original Soundtrack - 3:03 - (Used for Naruto as head of the Kitsune Clan)

'Grief and Sorrow' - Toshio Masuda - Naruto Original Soundtrack - 2:55 - (Used for scenes where Naruto reflects on his actions)

'Paper Moon' - Tommy Heavenly6 -Paper Moon Single - 4:22 - (Used for Naruto from the Invasion of Konoha through Finding Tsunade)

'Controlling the Iron Beast' - Takeharu Ishimoto - Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Soundtrack - 2:09 - (Used for Naruto's battle with Gaara as the Fox and Shukaku)

'Silent Melody' - Working for a Nuclear Free City - InFamous Videogame Soundtrack - 0:43 - (Used for Konoha during Naruto's gang war after the Chunin Exam)

'Apollonia' - Nino Rota - The Godfather Soundtrack - 1:24 - (Used for Naruto's contemplating his relationship with Hinata)

'Alumina' - Nightmare - Death Note Original Soundtrack - 4:59 - (Used for scenes with either Itachi or Sai)

'Speak Softly Love' - Andy Williams - The Godfather Soundtrack - 3:05 - (Used for Keitaro and Hana's wedding - lyrics were translated to Italian)

'Brucia la Terra' - Nino Rota - Godfather Trilogy Soundtrack - 1:31 - (Used for Keitaro's song to Hana at their wedding)

'In The Air Tonight' - Phil Collins - Face Value - 5:30 - (Used for Tsunade contemplating whether or not to go back to the village)

'Battle Without Honor' - Tomoyasu Hotei - Kill Bill Volume I Soundtrack - 2:28 - (Used for the Battle of the Three Sannin)

'Aint that a Kick in the Head' - Dean Martin - Dino: The Essential Dean Martin - 2:24 - (Used for Naruto from Tsunade's Rise as Hokage through Retrieve Sasuke)

'Hajimari no Nichi' - Ai Maeda - NightFly - 4:45 - (Used for Naruto and Hinata's Disastrous First Date)

'Troops' - Takeharu Ishimoto - Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy Soundtrack - 2:44 - (Used for Sasuke's encounter with the Sound Four)

'Final Resolve' - Takeharu Ishimoto - Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy Soundtrack - 2:42 - (Used for Sasuke and Naruto's discussion before they fight)

'JENOVA' - Nobuo Uematsu - Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children - 2:46 - (Used for Naruto and Sai's Battle with Sasuke)

'The Godfather Finale' - Nino Rota - The Godfather Trilogy - 04:01 - (Used for Final Chapter)

**A Forum RP?**

A while back, I considered setting up a forum to let you readers role play your own OCs in this story's Konoha during the Chunin Exam. There would be two sides with three factions each. The first side would be Criminals and the factions would be the Kitsune Clan led by Naruto, the Enkou Clan led by Junpei, and Oto spies led by Kabuto. The other side would be Law Enforcement with factions made up of Konoha shinobi led by the Third Hokage, the ANBU Black Ops Anti-Yakuza unit led by Ibiki Morino, and Root agents led by Danzou. Each faction's boss would hand out simple assignments from time to time, and everyone would occasionally interact with a character from the story - Shinji, Kakashi, Miji, Sakura, Hinata, Naruto, Orochimaru, Gaara, etc. Every once in a while, one of the boss's would meet with a role-player and have them take out another player. I canned this idea because the idea of letting role players kill each other seemed too much and I doubted anyone would want to play.

Another idea I had was to set up a tumblr or blog of some sort, where readers could make requests and ask questions to Naruto as Boss Kitsune. This idea fell through only because a lot of Naruto's reactions would be the same - confusion, dismissing the question as business secrets, and putting out hits on the questioner if they annoyed him. If there ever were enough demand, I would like to go back to these ideas. For now, I think it's best to forget about them.

**Social Commentary?**

I was asked by a reader once, if Oyabun had some kind of social commentary on how gang recruitment targets socially distant children by promising them a group they could belong to in exchange for representing their group. Something like that. I'm going to say the same thing now that I said then. No, there is no social commentary or hidden meaning in Oyabun. The story was written for two purposes; to be a good story and to test some characters from a book I had planned. There is no social commentary, no hidden meaning, and no moral. At best, it was written for pure entertainment - for you all to enjoy and have something to look forward to.

**The Big Question**

Since completing Oyabun, many of you have asked one simple question: will there be a sequel?

No. There won't be. Believe me, I thought long and hard about this question. I love Oyabun and Naruto. I loved writing for these characters and seeing them live out their lives. It was a great joy for me. Sadly, all things must end - including Oyabun. As fun as Oyabun is, the truth of the matter remains that I've retooled each of the characters as I needed and am prepared to start writing Yakuza: Brothers. I don't wish to delay this any longer by committing another five years to writing a sequel for Oyabun. I apologize to everyone who was hoping for some closure with the story, but continuing to focus on Oyabun will only continue to interfere with my university studies and pursuit of a health care career. After all, writing fanfiction won't put food on my table or pay bills. So, I'd like to say that I'm officially retiring from fanfiction writing. It's been a wonderful experience, and you've all been great to me. I can't thank you enough for all your support and readership over the years, but it's time for me to move on.

I do have a rough outline which I want to keep a closely guarded secret. If someone wants to write the sequel, and I approve of their writing style, then I will let them. Contact me by private messaging with a writing sample if you think you're up to it. The sample should be at least a half page scene in Verdana 9 font and can be any narrative related to the events Oyabun. If I like what I read, then I'll contact you about whether or not you'd like to write it.

So for one last time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out.


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